


Souls Shining In The Dark

by Bookwormgal



Series: Shining Souls [2]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Alphys Is Not That Kind Of Doctor, Alphys Shows Why She Was A Royal Scientist, Angst and Feels, Boss Monster Gaster, Brothers, Desperation, Determination (Undertale), F/F, Families of Choice, Family, Flashbacks, Flowey Is Trying At Least, Flowey Knows Things, Flowey Redemption, Friends as Family, Friendship, Frisk Is Not a Perfect Pacifist, Gaster Needs A Rescue, Gaster Needs a Hug, Gen, Gender-Neutral Frisk, Goopy W. D. Gaster, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Insanity, Loss of Identity, Magic, Memory Loss, Near Death Experiences, POV Third Person Limited, Papyrus Needs A Hug, Parent W. D. Gaster, Poor Sans, Post-Undertale Pacifist Route - "I want to stay with you.", Problems with Low HP, Promises, Protective Papyrus, Sans Doesn't Remember Resets, Sans Needs A Hug, Science, Serious Injuries, Soul Damage, Souls, The Void, The Void Is Not A Sane Place, Undertale Saves and Resets, Worldbuilding, Worried Papyrus
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-16
Updated: 2017-06-05
Packaged: 2018-10-19 12:22:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 44,143
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10639758
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bookwormgal/pseuds/Bookwormgal
Summary: When Sans collapses with no warning, everyone is naturally worried. The cause, however, is something that seems absolutely impossible. Some unknown force has a hold of his Soul and is dragging him down into darkness.Dark. Darker. Yet darker.There has to be a way to save him.





	1. Pulling

**Author's Note:**

> So I didn’t intend to continue writing for “Undertale,” but you know how things work. You get hit by inspiration and a cool idea takes root in your brain…
> 
> Well, anyway, this has no connection to any other story. It was inspired by the visuals and such from an “Undertale” animation called “Echo” by v0idless (which can be easily located on Youtube). It is a very intriguing (and sometimes confusing) video that I highly recommend watching. The person who created it is very talented.
> 
> As I said, the visuals of the animation sparked off an idea. And the idea grew. And eventually this started to take shape and I started writing. Hopefully you’ll enjoy it.
> 
> Just in case you’re curious, I’m not Toby Fox. Which means I do not own “Undertale” or anything connected to the game. I am also not v0idless, which means I don’t have anything to do with the animation “Echo.” I’m just the crazy person who keeps losing any self-restraint and keeps writing a lot of stories.
> 
> So I hope you enjoy. My brain certainly has a good time coming up with these ideas.

How long he'd been trapped in darkness was impossible to judge properly. It could be eons of solitude as the Void tore at his mind with sights, sounds, and knowledge of every location and moment simultaneously. Or he could have fallen just a moment before, certain he would die and only beginning to realize this was far worse.

Have to get out. Have to get out. Have to get out.

His body was scattered, ripped apart and spread throughout the infinite darkness. His mind was frayed and unraveling under the constant onslaught. The fragments of his self were merged with the strange dimension. He couldn't hold on to his memories anymore. He didn't truly exist anymore. He could barely remember his own name.

Too much. Got to escape. Too much. Got to escape. Too much. Can't take any more. Got to escape.

He wasn't really a monster anymore, torn and scattered by his fall into his creation. He was part of the darkness. He _was_ the Void now. But he hated how it continuously assaulted him.

Distance was as flexible and relative as time in the Void. Sometimes he could pull together a body in the emptiness, just like he could occasionally drag up a bright memory to flicker to life in the darkness before it quickly vanished again. But it wasn't enough. It didn't help.

Make it stop. Make it stop. Make it stop.

His sanity wavered in and out of focus, filling his thoughts with static and chaos. It _hurt_. Physical and mental pain remained an inescapable constant. Monsters were not meant for the Void and everything about the hostile environment made it clear.

He tried to claw his way out, seeking weak spots in reality to return. But even when he managed a few brief moments of _real_ light and sound rather than the chaos ripping at his mind, he quickly snapped back into the infinite darkness of the Void. He was too broken. He couldn't pull himself together enough and he couldn't pull his body free. He couldn't escape. He remained trapped.

Get out. Get out. Need to get out.

Even with everything shredded and scattered by his fall into the Core and his time in the Void, his Soul remained. It broke like the rest of him, even if it held together a few seconds longer than his body. He shouldn't have survived when everything tore asunder. But the infinite darkness seemed to have strengthen his Soul, the Void fusing with it just like the rest of what remained of him. His Soul shattered into pieces, but continued to behave like a single whole. Even erased from existence and memory of nearly all who knew him, his Soul persisted and death eluded him.

He couldn't escape and he couldn't make it stop. He couldn't end it.

No more. No more. Please no more.

But there was… something. Two thin connections, stretched over an impossible distance and yet unbroken, reached from his fragmented Soul all the way to reality. Those thin threads of connection were… important. He couldn't remember why, what they were, or what purpose they served. His mind and memories were too frayed for that. The knowledge was scattered and lost.

He did realize that the connections might be his one hope. If he wanted freedom, the thin threads leading back may be his escape.

He tested them, stretching out and pulling on them. A pair of Souls. Physical bodies, both similar enough to his own that they could support his Soul if necessary. One felt more durable, but the connection to the other was stronger.

Have to escape. Have to escape. Have to escape.

He tried to tighten his grip on the stronger connection, pulling at the thread. He kept losing his hold though. Time was acting strange. Not in the Void, where time was always incomprehensible. The flow of time in reality was inconsistent and jolting the thread of a connection out of his grip. The connections, both of them, sometimes even vanished before reappearing once again. Someone or something kept messing with the space-time continuum.

He didn't stop. For a moment or an eternity, he kept grabbing and regrabbing the thin thread regardless of how many times it slipped away. It was the only connection he had to reality. It was an anchor in the chaos and static. It was hope.

Got to get out. Got to get out. Get out. Get out. Get _out_.

Thousands of years or the blink of an eye; how long he struggled in harsh and unrelenting darkness was impossible to judge. The constant onslaught of information from all time and all space only made it more difficult. But then it happened. Timelines stopped jumping around, twisting, and tangling together. And that let him finally gain a solid grip on the thin connection without it being ripped away again.

His mind remained scattered while his sanity frayed, so his thoughts were fragmented and confused. But he knew that if he followed the connection, it would lead out. So he pulled. He tugged and pulled on the thin thread stretched over the infinite distance.

He pulled harder and harder, trying to climb his way out of the Void. There was a physical body waiting for him. He just needed to overwhelm and replace the Soul in the way first. He could be free.

Some piece of him felt this was wrong, that he should let go before he went further. But it was only a single fragmented thought in the darkness. And he _needed_ to escape.

No more. No more. No more. Too much.

So he held tight to the connection and pulled. And with each sharp tug, he used more power. And the harder he pulled, the closer he was to escape.

* * *

Sans tried not to flinch visibly at the sharp and almost painful way his Soul seemed to lurch. There were too many witnesses who would notice and worry. _Papyrus_ would worry and that was absolutely the last thing he wanted to happen. So he hid the reaction just like always and kept his grin in place while he watched everyone else enjoy the barbeque for the rest of the afternoon. It wasn't as if the sensation was anything new.

He wasn't exactly the model of perfect health. Going through life with a single HP kind of had that effect. Not only could one solid hit take him out, any form of sickness could turn devastating or even deadly. Even sleep could only raise it temporarily above his base HP levels. But he hadn't died yet, so he figured the sensation was only unpleasant rather than dangerous.

It had been happening at random for quite some time, long before Frisk fell into the Underground. In fact, it began around a certain event that also marked the start of his more unique abilities. His "shortcuts," his ability to pause time briefly with enough concentration and energy… He was probably due something to balance out his minor abilities over space and time. A sharp and short jerk of his Soul once a month or so was a fair trade.

The thought made him pause. Shifting slightly as he leaned against the tree, Sans actually started counting. He hadn't realized it before, but they were more common than before. The unpleasant jerks of his Soul had grown more frequent since he left the Underground. The last one was only a couple weeks ago. The realization almost prompted language that he really shouldn't use in front of the kid. Or Papyrus.

As much as Sans didn't want to consider it, the fact they were growing worse probably meant he couldn't ignore them much longer. Even his laziness and apathy had limits, especially in the last several months. He just didn't like the poking and prodding that would follow. There was enough of that when he was younger. Monsters with single digit HP don't make it out of infancy and any professional healer freaked out and became overprotective the instant they realized. And Sans always ended up enduring every single test and exam they could devise before they'd let him go. The entire process frustrated him and he avoided anything resembling a checkup. But he might have to break that streak.

He'd have to find a new healer though. It been so long since he'd gone to one that Sans was fairly certain his old healer retired.

But that was an annoyance to deal with another day. For the moment, Sans felt perfectly satisfied leaning against the tree in the backyard enjoying the afternoon. After emptying two fire extinguishers onto the grill, Papyrus and Undyne were dragged from cooking to a friendly volleyball game involving a few of the former sentries and Frisk. The competition became rather fierce once Undyne joined and Grillby took charge of salvaging the food, which was exactly what the kid intended when they invited Papyrus and Undyne to play. Frisk was always a smart child and had a knack for figuring people out.

Monsters wandered in and out of the large yard over the course of the afternoon. The dog sentries stayed for a while until even Greater Dog grew tired of chasing the ball around. Grillby made certain there was enough food before heading back to het his bar ready for the evening. Asgore showed up long enough to visit Frisk, but sharp glares and cold shoulders from Toriel eventually drove him off again. They were civil with each other now, but her patience with her ex-husband had limits. A few Temmies, a Tsunderplane that kept bumping into people, a couple of Froggits, Aaron, and MK all made brief appearances before leaving.

It made sense that everyone wanted to attend the barbeque. Even without the food and games, monsters loved any excuse to gather together outside. Generations trapped Underground ensured the appeal of sunlight and open skies didn't wear off quickly. Between eating his burger and watching the occasional chaos, Sans was perfectly content to nap under the tree while the sun warmed his bones.

The first time he realized that he actually felt happy and even some hope surprised him. He'd embraced that numb apathy in the face of his helplessness for too long. He'd forgotten what it was like to be optimistic. Even making it to the Surface wasn't enough to erase his doubts. He was certain he would wake up one morning back in Snowdin with no solid memories of his better life. But as months passed and nothing happened, he let himself start enjoy their new life with the shadow of suspicion growing fainter.

He would probably always worry that his life would Reset and he'd fall back into the loops where none of his actions mattered. But he knew that Frisk wouldn't do it on a whim. He knew the kid and what kind of person they were. They'd _promised_. If they ever chose to Reset again, it would be because the situation was dire and any other choice was far worse. That was as much reassurance as Sans would ever have and it was enough.

"SANS!" called Papyrus, pulling him out of his light snooze. "DID YOU NAP THROUGH THE ENTIRE AFTERNOON?"

Stretching in a way that made his joints pop, he climbed to his feet, " **nah, bro. i caught your game with undyne. it looked like you guys were having a** _ **ball**_ **.** "

"UGH, THAT WAS TERRIBLE!" groaned Papyrus.

" **it made you smile.** "

"I KNOW AND I HATE IT!" he said as he pulled Sans to his feet.

Chuckling slightly at his brother's reaction, Sans took a moment to see who was left. Most of the yard was empty since the barbeque was winding down. Toriel and Alphys, for once wearing more casual clothes rather than one of her countless lab coats, were starting to clean up while Undyne took down the volleyball net. Papyrus would probably try to talk him into helping. Sans was already debating if the chance to exchange puns with Toriel would be worth the effort of picking up a plate or two.

A tug at his sleeve told him exactly where Frisk wandered off to. Messy hair and a striped sweater, they looked so much like they did when they first fell into the Underground. They gave him a shy smile as they handed him a small bottle of ketchup from the picnic table. Sans ruffled their hair, producing giggles. The kid really knew how to get on a guy's good side. Sans slid the bottle into his pocket for later.

"WELL, SINCE YOU LAZED THE DAY AWAY, YOU SHOULD BE PERFECTLY WELL-RESTED ENOUGH TO ASSIST US IN STOWING EVERYTHING AWAY!"

" **i don't know about that, papyrus. i might need to rest up a little before trying something so strenuous. You wouldn't want me to pull a** _ **muscle**_ **, right? i don't have a lot of them to spare**."

Frisk giggled while Papyrus sputtered in frustration. The human's sense of humor was definitely heavily influenced by living under the same roof as Toriel, though Sans liked to think he had something to do with it. It was such a shame that Papyrus never appreciated puns the same way. Or at least couldn't bring himself to admit to enjoying them. But tossing out a pun wouldn't be half as fun without Papyrus complaining about it.

"SANS, HONESTLY, IT'S THE LEAST YOU CAN DO!"

" **you're really underestimating how little i can do**."

" _SANS!_ "

Frisk didn't even try to hide their laughter as Papyrus stomped his foot in annoyance. Even Toriel struggled to suppress a small chuckle, the other monsters now paying attention to the pair. Sans loved his brother and he was the coolest person he knew, but there was just something so fun about messing with him a little.

" **all right, bro, i'll st—** "

Sharp pain cut off his words, the pulling sensation on his Soul stealing his breath away. Not again. It was too soon. Why was it jerking again? And it was worse than before. It hurt so much worse and was lasting longer. He couldn't hide his reaction this time. He could only grit his teeth and try to avoid doing more than hiss in pain as he waited for it to stop.

Then the pressure on his Soul stopped as suddenly as it started. Trying to catch his breath, Sans realized he must have shut his eye sockets at some point and reluctantly opened them. The first thing he saw was Papyrus kneeling right in front of him, one hand on Sans' shoulder to stead him and a worried expression. Which was the last thing he wanted to happen and what he tried so hard to avoid. Frisk was leaning around the taller skeleton with a frightened look and the sound of hurrying feet didn't really help things. He didn't want to scare everyone like this.

Of course, if he was honest with himself, Sans was scared too. Something was wrong with him. _Seriously_ wrong. And it was clearly getting worse. He couldn't ignore it this time.

He vaguely noticed that he was clutching at his chest with one hand. He must have grabbed at where he felt the pain in his Soul. Sans couldn't bring himself to let go yet.

"SANS? WHAT HAPPENED? ARE YOU ALL RIGHT?" asked Papyrus uneasily, staring at his brother carefully.

He had to reassure Papyrus. He couldn't stand seeing Papyrus worrying over him. Even if he didn't know what was happening, he had to tell his brother that everything would be fine. He tried to give them a reassuring grin.

Trying to keep his tone calm, Sans said, " **…papyrus, i—** "

His Soul lurched again, stronger and more painful than before. And it didn't stop. He couldn't breathe, couldn't move, and couldn't think. He heard voices, but they sounded muffled and he couldn't understand the words. Whatever force it was kept pulling and wouldn't stop. The pressure kept increasing.

Then something gave way. The pulling sensation overcame whatever was holding it in place. Whatever was holding his _Soul_ in place. It ripped him away. His grip on his body stretched and grew thin as he was pulled away. It didn't snap completely, but the connection to his body grew faint and weak.

Was he Falling Down? Was this death? Was this what dying felt like? Frisk would probably know.

Sans couldn't tell if he was falling or being yanked up. But his Soul was plunging into darkness.

Dark. Darker. Yet darker.

* * *

The first hint something was wrong was when Sans broke off from his banter with his brother, the sudden cut to silence enough to draw attention. Alphys had turned to see the shorter skeleton with his eye sockets pressed closed, wobbling a little on his feet, and clutching his chest. It lasted several seconds until his breathing eased and his fingers were no longer digging into the fabric of his t-shirt. By that point, Papyrus and Frisk were worrying over him and Alphys, Undyne, and Toriel were hurrying across the yard.

And as Papyrus tried to coax an explanation from his brother, the second piece of evidence of impending doom struck. Alphys was close enough to see his expression go from a shaky reassuring grin to pained shock in an instant. His eye-lights shrank to pinpricks before extinguishing completely and his body went limp like cutting the strings of a marionette. Papyrus was the only reason he didn't hit the ground, his arms moving faster than gravity could make him fall.

What followed was a whirlwind of worried and mildly panicked chaos. Toriel immediately summoned up her green healing magic, the undiscussed knowledge about his low HP looming in everyone's minds. But Alphys knew that wouldn't help much. Sans would be dust if his body was physically damaged by what happened. She didn't mention that, however. She just followed closely as they hurried to get him help.

While human bodies were composed of greater amounts of physical matter and a cocktail of chemical reactions that required a vast education in biology to understand, monsters were composed of hope, love, and magic. Basic healing magic could handle most problems. Certain diseases and more serious injuries, however, required more skill and training than the average monster possessed. While treating humans required someone with a doctorate and a lot of pointy objects, monsters went to healers and their doctors tended to focus on other branches of science.

Well, a lot of healers outside of the smallest communities did tend to go ahead and get a doctorate anyway. More serious injuries, especially those not immediately healed, and more unusual illnesses required a proper education to identify and handle. Treating a fire elemental was different than treating a mammalian monster and it was completely different handling a skeletal patient.

Unfortunately, even with how long they'd been on the surface, they hadn't really built a proper hospital in Newer Home (Asgore's naming skills had not improved with time). The prevalence of healing magic meant it wasn't a priority. But there was at least one small clinic that Undyne and Papyrus passed regularly on their jog, a location close to them.

Technically the clinic was closing for the day, but they didn't let that stop them. Dr. Sola, apparently originally from a small community in a cavern branching off from Waterfall, agreed to take a look when she saw a worried group that included the former queen and a rather forceful Undyne.

She was a more avian monster, looking remarkably like the colorful peacocks with their elaborate tails. You know, if the spots of their fan-like tails were actually eyes and their wings included fingered hands. Dr. Sola seemed professional and competent as she ushered them towards one of the larger rooms in the back. And rather attractive if Alphys was honest. But something about the avian monster made her feel anxious about the situation.

They weren't led to the smaller rooms meant for checkups and treating smaller monsters for minor issues. The larger exam room held more medical equipment along the mint-green walls. The exam table was also larger. The location was clearly intended for larger monsters. Dr. Sola probably brought them back to this particular room due to the extra machines in place. Or because of how many taller monsters were in the group bringing her patient in.

Papyrus seemed reluctant to release his brother and leave him on the exam table as Dr. Sola directed. Alphys didn't blame him. Sans didn't look any better. His eye sockets were pressed tightly closed while a pained grimace dominated his face even in his unconscious state. His breathing was labored and fast, as if the skeleton was performing extreme physical exertions rather than lying on the exam table as the healer pulled off his jacket. And while mostly limp, there was the occasional twitch of the head or hand that gave the impression that he was trapped in a nightmare. Alphys couldn't help mentally filing all these symptoms away, her mind considering and rejecting the possible causes.

"Were there any symptoms before your friend collapsed? Lack of energy, sudden weakness, aches, anything?" asked Dr. Sola, carefully pulling off his white t-shirt.

"He seemed to be in pain shortly before hand," Toriel described. "He passed out before we could ask about the cause, but it was sudden and the pain seemed focused in his chest."

Nodding distractedly, Dr. Sola pulled out a small, black, rectangular device. Alphys recognized the basic Check Scanner as a very useful diagnostic tool. While some details could be figured out by checking with magic, that method could easily be colored by preconceptions and influenced by the one performing it. The Check Scanner could provide accurate, clinical, and precise readings of a monster's stats. Their AT, DF, HP, and so on. That information could reveal a lot of baseline information about a monster's overall health at that moment, especially when compared to their base stats. Any half decent healer would have a scanner in their arsenal, though Alphys vaguely noticed it was an older model.

She frowned at the display, her beak opening and closing without speaking a word. Dr. Sola glanced between the Check Scanner and the unconscious figure on the exam table and back again. Her feathers ruffled and all her eyes blinked rapidly. Everything about her posture screamed shock and confusion.

"That… that can't be right. His base HP… That's impossible. _Infants_ don't have it that low. That's—"

"THAT'S NORMAL FOR SANS!" Papyrus interrupted. "HE'S ALWAYS HAD VERY LOW HP! THAT'S NOT WHAT'S WRONG WITH MY BROTHER!"

Dr. Sola didn't look completely convinced by the skeleton's words. She kept looking at the scanner, entranced by the information on the screen. She just couldn't seem to get past the single HP. Having someone reduced to that by injury and illness was quite different than having it as their base level.

"Poor general health and an inability to regain consciousness? I'm sorry to tell you this, but the symptoms seem to indicate he's Fallen Down."

That declaration hit the group hard and in a variety of ways. Toriel gasped and covered her mouth in horror. Frisk stared at Sans with an unreadable expression, biting their lower lip. Undyne appeared furious, but with no one to direct her anger at. Of course, Alphys knew there was more to her emotions than just fury. Some of that anger was worry and helplessness.

Papyrus' expression was more difficult to read than it should be. There was stubbornness and annoyance. And a refusal to lose hope. He was almost glaring at the healer.

And Alphys… She might be shy and her confidence might still need work, but at that moment… something was bubbling up inside her.

"YOU'VE MADE A MISTAKE," said Papyrus slowly, an edge to his voice making it nearly unrecognizable coming from the taller skeleton. "SANS HAS NOT FALLEN DOWN."

Softening her gaze slightly, Dr. Sola said, "I'm sorry about this, but denial won't change the facts. Your brother was never very strong by the sounds of it and you must have at least suspected this would happen someday. Sometimes a weak or weakened monster will Fall Down and there's nothing anyone can do to help them. I'm so—"

"HE HAS _NOT_ FALLEN DOWN," interrupted Papyrus. "I KNOW WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE. IT HAPPENED WITH MRS. DRAKE AND SEVERAL OF THE OLDER DOGS. I SAW THEM. THIS ISN'T THE SAME THING. YOU'VE MADE A MISTAKE AND THEY HAPPEN SOMETIMES, BUT YOU NEED TO HELP HIM."

Alphys remembered. Back in the days of her Determination experiments, when she sent out a request for monsters who'd Fallen Down, several came from Snowdin. While it was a while back, it was still recent enough that the skeletons would have been living there. It was a small and close-knit community that would have been shaken by such events. Papyrus would have certainly seen and remember what happened. He was smart enough to recognize the same thing Alphys did.

"Your brother only has a single base HP and cannot be awakened," Dr. Sola said in a slow and firm tone as if speaking to a child about an obvious subject. "The simple fact is he's Fallen Down. Denying it will only make it more difficult for you in the end."

"And w-what about the s-symptoms you're ig-ignoring?" asked Alphys, narrowing her eyes. "Th-the ones th-that _contradict_ your d-diagnosis?"

All of Dr. Sola's numerous eyes blinked briefly before staring at the reptile scientist. Everyone was looking at her now. Alphys felt herself start shaking and sweating from being at the center of attention. She never liked this. But she couldn't back down. Not when everything in her rebelled against what the healer was saying and doing. Not when keeping quiet could harm a friend.

A pair of scaly hands settled on Alphys' shoulders and took a deep breath, some of her anxiety easing. Her girlfriend would support her. And her friends would too. Alphys could do what she needed to do. She could handle this. And she _needed_ to speak out. She couldn't keep quiet.

Stay brave, Alphys. Remember, just imagine what Undyne would do and just do it less violently.

"The onset of everything was too f-fast," she continued. "M-monsters don't Fall Down like that. Unless the cause is an injury, Falling Down isn't so s-sudden." Alphys took another deep breath. "There is increasing lethargy for hours or even days prior to slipping into an unawakenable slumber. They don't just collapse without warning. And when they Fall Down, they are completely still and limp, their breathing is slow and shallow to the point it can be difficult to detect, and in many cases appear to have paler skin and duller fur or feathers. Now the last wouldn't apply to a skeleton, but Sans has shown small intermittent movements and his breathing is labored. Even with that rather rudimentary examination that you _barely_ attempted, you should have realized he hasn't Fallen Down. You're supposed to be a healer. You're supposed to do better than this."

Dr. Sola gaped at Alphys. She didn't cringe back. The anger had grown as she'd spoken, pushing past her anxiety. Her frustration with the healer and the situation and her certainty that she was right even managed to spur Alphys forward enough for her stammering to ease off.

"What?" said Dr. Sola, her feathers ruffling. "Who do you think you are speaking to me like this, Miss—?"

" _Dr_. Alphys," Undyne interrupted, her tone making it clear she was baring her teeth at the healer. "Former royal Scientist and my girlfriend. So be careful what you say."

No matter how many times she heard it or what the circumstances might be, hearing Undyne call her "girlfriend" still made Alphys blush and feel so warm inside. She still couldn't believe her luck.

But even Undyne defending her honor wasn't enough to completely distract Alphys from the grave situation. Sans was still out cold for an unknown reason and Dr. Sola seemed content to write the entire problem off as the natural result of his low base HP. She didn't want to look any further for a cause. But the healer wouldn't get away with just the bare minimum.

"You can't make a d-diagnosis just by checking a monster's stat," Alphys continued. "That's just a starting point. You didn't even look at his Soul or check his magic levels. Can you st-stop being lazy and do your job? …P-please?"

Dr. Sola sighed tiredly before giving a reluctant nod. Alphys tried not to completely collapse and start hyperventilating. She'd hit her limit of courage for the day.

Manifesting your or someone else's Soul was one of the simplest spells that all monsters learned at a very young age. Without learning that skill, without learning how to locate and manipulate the source of your magic, how could you expect to master other forms of magic? Even though the removal of Sans' shirt and jacket exposed his ribs, his Soul would remain invisible to the eye until someone summoned it forth.

And while a monster's stats could provide some basic information, a Soul was the very culmination of their very being. Manifesting his Soul and examining the current state of it would provide more information. How could anyone expect to make a real diagnosis for Sans without enough information? That was common sense.

And while a conscious monster might be able to resist someone trying to manifest their Soul, Sans' unconscious state meant it should be easy to summon forth. It should be easy for even the most unskilled use of magic to achieve.

But when Dr. Sola tried to summon his Soul, nothing happened. Her beak twisted into a frown as she tried again. Her efforts seemed to have no effects. Sans remained in his troubled unconscious state and his Soul didn't appear.

"Can this healer do _anything_ right?" growled Undyne.

"I… I don't understand," Dr. Sola said, her numerous eyes gawking at the small skeleton. "His Soul… It's there… It _has_ to be. He would be _dust_ without his Soul. But I can't… It's there, but it's not. I don't understand what's happening."

She dove for a machine in the corner and wheeled it over to the exam table. There was a large sensor pad connected to a tangled cord that Dr. Sola placed on his rib cage. She hit a few switches and twisted a dial, trying to adjust the machine. The screen showed a list of numbers and the image of a Soul. But the numbers and image kept flickering, going blank before reappearing.

Dr. Sola gawked at the results in absolute shock at the results. Alphys couldn't blame her for that reaction. This wasn't normal. Something was happening that the standard equipment couldn't properly detect and measure, but it still showed enough for Alphys to recognize that it wasn't normal. This was so wrong and terrifying.

"I… I don't understand. This doesn't make sense," Dr. Sola said quietly. "I… don't know what's going on."

She couldn't wrap her mind around the impossibility. Alphys could see it on the healer's face. Whatever education she received about treating patients never prepared Dr. Sola for this and she didn't know how to adapt.

Alphys wasn't a healer. She was better with creating and building technology than using her relatively weak magic. But due to her Determination experiments and the Fallen Down monsters that her efforts twisted into the poor Amalgamates, she knew quite a bit about Souls. She knew more about how they worked and their limits than most monsters could imagine. And she'd created a lot of specialized equipment to detect, monitor, and record the condition of Souls. Equipment far more sensitive and effective than anything else available.

Dr. Sola couldn't do anything for Sans. That was clear. But maybe Alphys could use her past mistakes to help.

"Th-thank you for your t-time, Dr. Sola," she said. "P-papyrus, your car's fast, right? We need to head b-back to the entrance to the Underground and go to my old lab. If I can get to my equipment, I m-might be able to f-figure out what's happening and help Sans."

Papyrus didn't need any further prompting to rush past the still-in-shock healer and scoop up his brother in his arms again. Undyne grabbed the discarded jacket and shirt while giving Dr. Sola a final sharp look. The rest of them quickly filed back out the way they came, a new destination in mind.

Alphys, her mind already racing ahead to her old lab and the available equipment stored there, vaguely noticed Frisk's expression as they kept glancing at Sans. They looked rather… Determined.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So… Yeah, I’m handling the Gaster situation a little differently than I did in my last “Undertale” story. It is probably going to be a little longer too. I hope you don’t mind.
> 
> I’m also going to explore the issue of Boss Monsters a little too (though there are already hints on the topic in this story). In the game, the only ones we know for certain are Boss Monsters are Toriel, Asgore, and most likely Asriel (before the Flowey incident). Now, we could assume that means that all Boss Monsters are goat-like entities, but that’s not really a good enough sample size to confirm it. Those three are part of a single family and similarities in appearance and Boss Monster-ness is to be expected.
> 
> But I’m going for a different approach than “Boss Monsters are always goats.” While the topic will be explored further later in the story, I’m working with the idea that being a Boss Monster is something you notice about the Soul rather than the physical body. After all, one of the defining traits of a Boss Monster is that their Soul lasts a few seconds after death. But as I said, that will be discussed later in the story in greater detail.


	2. Investigating

He couldn't tell how long he'd been dragged deeper into the impossible darkness. Time felt... strange. Going too fast and too slow in equal measures. The distance between his body and Soul grew farther, the connection growing thinner and frail. Part of him begged it not to snap as the stronger force pulled Sans away.

He was scared. His Soul trembled with it. After everything he'd dealt with and encountered, Sans always figured he was beyond real fear. But his apathy had faded in recent months and death began to have meaning again once the Resets stopped. He was scared, confused, and completely uncertain what was happening.

And some of that fear and confusion transformed into anger against whatever or whoever had a grip on his Soul.

Putting in more effort than what anyone would believe him capable of, Sans abruptly pulled against the force. He fought and resisted the strange power dragging him. He threw his magic out, trying to anchor himself against the outside forces. The pressure increased and he struggled further. The pain, the one that yanked him from his body in the first place, grew and grew until it felt like he would split in half.

Then everything stopped. The abrupt change would have left him stumbling if it was possible. The connection to his body and the connection leading into darkness both remained, but neither were pulling any longer. His Soul was left floating in infinite darkness. Sans was lost and alone.

Cautiously, Sans reached out further with his magic. He wasn't certain what he could even do in this place. Something about the empty darkness didn't feel normal. It reminded him of staring at the night sky for the first, endless and vast. But there were no lights. There were no stars. Just utter blackness that went on for an eternity. There was something wrong about this place. It pressed against his Soul. He didn't know how his magic would operate here, especially with his body what felt like a world away.

At that thought, faint blue light began to wrap around his Soul. His magic slowly formed a translucent shape. He almost didn't recognize the pale blue form as an image of his body.

Huh. He didn't mean to do that. He didn't even know it was possible. Of course, a monster Soul existing without their body like this wasn't possible either. Clearly something weird was happening. Magic worked different in this strange place. Other laws of reality might be equally twisted. Definitely something to keep in mind.

The fake body didn't really hide his Soul, the bright and glowing shape shining through the translucent form. But it made him feel less exposed and it was easier to have a physical form, even if it was only an imitation of his body. He flexed his hands. It would do. At least until he made it back.

The simplest solution would be trying one of his "shortcuts" to escape. Unfortunately, even with how strange it was trying to judge distance in the infinite darkness, Sans knew he couldn't teleport out of there. It was too far. Not to mention it was very disorienting. There were no landmarks to tell which way to go or if he was even moving. He wasn't even certain if he was upright. There was no gravity or even something resembling the ground. Teleporting randomly might not be best. And that was assuming his "shortcuts" were even possible here.

It didn't feel safe trying it in this place.

The longer he floated in this empty... void, the more a sense of unease crept over him. The darkness felt oppressive and hostile. He didn't belong here. He didn't belong here and the place made that very clear. Something was pressing against his created body, his magic keep it at bay from his Soul. It crackled and buzzed. Sans didn't want to imagine what would happen to him without the magically-constructed form he'd inadvertently made. He suspected it wouldn't be good.

He needed out. He needed to get out of this place and back home. He needed to return his Soul to his real body rather than the current fake one. Sans had no clue how long he could survive in this impossible state.

Assuming he wasn't already dead or dying.

Of course, Sans suspected his death might be enough to provoke Frisk into messing with the timeline. After all, the promise was to only Reset if the situation grew dire. And the kid had a thing about saving people. If he was dead or dying, Frisk might decide to fix it.

He didn't like the idea of returning to the days where everything existed in endless loops that he couldn't affect. He didn't want to return to that helpless, apathetic state where deja vu filled him with dread and he felt like an empty shell of his former self. Sans didn't want to go back to that, especially after he'd begun to hope for a real future. But he wasn't a fan of dying either.

Maybe, if it _did_ come down to Frisk sending everyone back with a Reset, he wouldn't realize what happened. Or maybe he would at least figure out it was because of something important. He wouldn't want to hate the kid for trying to help.

A flicker of light to his left caught his attention, the first sign of anything in the empty void. A flat square appeared, showing an image of Frisk in the forests outside Snowdin. They were turning around to shake his hand. Dozens of other glowing squares soon showed up like floating television screens. The kid solving puzzles. Frisk joining him for a meal at Grillby's. Them trying out his telescope in Waterfall. Him stacking hot dogs on their head. The two of them sitting at a table as he told them about his promise to Toriel. All of the images were clear memories he had of Frisk that appeared briefly before leaving him in the darkness once more.

Well, that was certainly weird. Did thinking about Frisk cause them to appear? He had no idea. But it didn't really change anything or seem to affect him at all, so he probably didn't need to worry about it too much. It was just yet another oddity of this empty and creepy place.

He needed to get his Soul back to his body. Preferably without involving time shenanigans from the kid. He didn't know _how_ , but Sans needed to figure it out. Maybe if he figured out how he was yanked into this empty void in the first place, he could find a way back.

Then something shifted in the darkness. The faint blue light of his magically-constructed form hit something. A new fear filled his Soul.

This strange void wasn't empty. He wasn't alone. There was something there. Something _big_.

" **E** **s** c _A_ P **e**. _m_ _ **U**_ **S** t _**e**_ S _CA_ **p** e. _SO_ U **L** i _ **n**_ w _A_ y. E **Sc** APe. _M_ **in** E. M _i_ n **e**. _M_ _I_ _ **N**_ **E**!"

* * *

The Underground wasn't completely deserted of all life. It took time to find or build homes on the Surface and at least some monsters still commuted back to keep the Core operational. They'd wired it to the Surface to provide power to Newer Home, after all. And to accommodate that fact, they'd created a paved road back up the mountain.

Alphys was certain that, even with the added weight of so many monsters piled into the convertible, Papyrus somehow made the drive in record time. Once they entered the Underground, getting to her old lab went quick. While the elevators didn't always go down that far, Alphys could easily override it and sent the elevator to the lab. The _True_ Lab.

"Head down that hall. There are p-plenty of beds available. Y-you can't miss them," Alphys instructed. "G-get him settled in one of them. Undyne, c-could you help me m-move some equipment?"

Frisk gestured to Papyrus and led him deeper into the lab, his unconscious brother still in his arms. They knew their way around and would make sure Papyrus got there fine. Toriel followed after them. Her nurturing and maternal instinct might help keep them calm.

Her first destination was to the generator room. While she normally kept it dim down there because she hoped it would be calming and comforting to the poor Amalgamates and so she wouldn't have to look too closely at her mistakes, the time for that had passed. Grabbing a switch and shoving it all the way up, Alphys watched the overhead lights flicker to full strength bright enough to make her blink a few times.

"Hey, Alphys," said Undyne quietly, glancing back as if to make sure they were alone. "Be honest. Do you think Sans will be all right?"

She stared at her girlfriend. Sans and Undyne weren't particularly close friends as far as she knew. They mostly knew each other from his time as a sentry and, more importantly, through Papyrus. Both cared about him a lot and wanted to watch out for him. So Undyne probably wasn't just asking because she was worried about Sans. Undyne was also worried about the effect this was having on Papyrus.

"I d-don't know," she admitted. "S-something is wrong with his Soul. Something Dr. Sola's m-machine couldn't identify. Th-that's r-really bad." Alphys picked up an old clipboard with one of her charts of information concerning Souls. "And she _is_ r-right about one thing. Sans only has one HP. That's n-not a lot of r-room for error. Anything g-goes wrong or I c-can't fix it fast enough and..."

Her hands played with the clipboard nervously as Alphys forced herself to take a slow deep breath. She hated this. She hated admitting this. But she couldn't lie. She hated how lying made her feel, even when it was easier and nicer than the truth. And she didn't have to lie anymore. Especially not to Undyne. As much as she hated admitting the truth, she knew she would hate lying far more.

"I'm n-not a healer. I don't kn-know if I'm good enough. I d-don't know if I c-can save him."

Strong arms wrapped around Alphys as she exposed her fears and self-doubts. She felt her body relax slightly in Undyne's tight embrace. Even if her girlfriend should choose to end the comforting hug by suplexing the scientist, it helped her anxiety quite a bit in that moment.

"Shh... You are smart enough to figure this out. You're _way_ better than that healer lady. And you're not alone. I don't get all your nerd talk, but I'll help. Just tell me what you need and I'll do it. Even if it's just running back and punching Dr. Sola in the face to cheer you up and for being bad at her job."

That produced a watery laugh from Alphys. She was only partially certain Undyne was joking, but it did make her feel better.

This wouldn't be like when they performed the Determination experiments. They weren't injecting strange substances into the Souls of dying monsters this time, hoping to make them last after death like human Souls. She just needed to figure out the state of his Soul right now and proceed from there.

...Wait, "they"? Was... there someone else there, working with Determination with her? Alphys tried to pursue the thought and indistinct memory, but it seemed to slip away.

Never mind. There were far more pressing matters to attend to at the moment.

Reluctantly pulling away from Undyne's embrace, she said, "Thanks. R-right now I need you pick up and c-carry two heavy and very delicate pieces of equipment. And be very careful. I d-don't want them damaged."

"Got it. Don't break the nerd junk. No problem."

Alphys quickly pointed to the required equipment she'd stored out of the way where the Amalgamates wouldn't bother anything. Undyne lifted both without any trouble, casually tucking them under her arms. She didn't even break a sweat.

Rather than gawk at her hot girlfriend further, Alphys started digging through her cabinets for the correct attachments for the equipment. She needed the ones that would fit a monster around Sans' size and shape. So nothing huge or designed for a muzzle or a beak. Nor anything meant for a fur-covered monster.

After rummaging for a little while, success struck. Alphys emerged with her arms nearly overloaded with wires and tubes. She'd been forced to tuck the clipboard between her teeth. The room was empty now, proving that Undyne took the initiative to carry her burden down the hall already. She quickly hurried after her girlfriend while trying not to drop anything.

Alphys scurried into the larger main room of the secret lab. Rows of beds took up most of the space. Once, the beds were filled with monsters who'd Fallen Down. So many still and silent figures collected in one place as she waited for them to die so she could collect their Souls. It was sad, keeping vigil like that, but there wasn't much that can be done for monsters in that state. Then the monsters climbed out of bed when they never should have awakened. It should have been a miraculous happy ending, but it was the start of the downward spiral of tragedy and lies.

She shook off the ghosts of old guilt and regret, forcing herself to focus on the present. Papyrus had just finished settling his older brother into one of the beds, tucking him in gently under the blanket. He didn't even look up when she entered the room. Toriel sat on the edge of a neighboring bed, holding Frisk in her lap in an attempt to comfort them. And Undyne was setting the equipment next to the unconscious skeleton. Nothing looked damaged, which meant Undyne listened about being careful.

"Thanks," said Alphys, taking the clipboard out of her mouth. "C-can you plug it into the w-wall, Undyne? I'll g-get everything hooked up."

"Sure thing."

The first thing that Alphys did was connect the proper attachments to the ventilator Undyne brought over, a piece of equipment meant for monster who already Fell Down and were worsening in condition. She'd never needed to use it, but they'd prepared for all possibilities during the experiments. Even when they thought the monsters were doomed, they didn't want them to suffer any more than necessary. She even obtained face masks in a variety of sizes and shapes for any monsters that would be brought in for the Determination experiments. But now the ventilator would finally serve a purpose.

Maybe he didn't need the extra oxygen. But even with no visible internal structures, skeletons needed to breathe just like they needed to eat. Just like all monsters, really. And Sans' breathing was still too fast, labored, and strained for her comfort. It was taking him too much effort to really be considered healthy, especially since he wasn't running a marathon or something. And the ventilator wasn't one of the more invasive models meant for patients who couldn't breathe at all. She just wanted to make it easier for him and make sure he had plenty of air available. So Alphys settled the face mask in place over his mouth and hoped it would improve things. It certainly couldn't hurt.

"D-don't worry about this," she said, noticing the worried looks about the face mask. "It's only a p-precaution. He p-probably doesn't need it, but..."

She trailed off, not certain what else to say. She just looked away from them and focused on her task.

Next Alphys started plugging in wires into her creation, the Soul Monitor. Inspired by the various hospital episodes of her numerous animes, she'd designed and built the machine to be far more sensitive and comprehensive than anything else available. When studying Souls in an attempt to preserve them after death, accurate readings were key. It would provide a wide array of information on the condition of his Soul and general health.

"Hopefully this w-will give us some answers."

She carefully started placing sensors, the weak adhesive slightly sticky like a bandage. The first three were stuck to his ribs, close to where his Souls should normally manifest. Two more were placed on the sides of his skull. The arrangement should gather the most accurate readings. And with that complete, Alphys reached towards the Soul Monitor and switched it on.

_Bweep! Bweep! Bweep!_

A sharp alarm immediately erupted, making everyone wince. She tried to calm herself despite the noise. She remembered how she set it up. A quiet and steady beep would indicate that everything was normal, but it would grow louder, shriller, and faster as the condition became more serious. While the noise was concerning, it wasn't as bad as it could be. It was only loud enough to get their attention. It just told her something she already knew: there was something wrong with Sans' Soul.

Trying to focus through the noise, Alphys studied the screen on the Soul Monitor. She could see the image of his Soul on the upper right corner, dimmer and with far less distinct edges than what she would prefer. At times, it almost seemed translucent. It would be so much easier if she had some records of his Soul's normal state to compare it to. There were a series of green bars lining the bottom of the screen, each at different heights to represent the levels for the magical energy, brightness of his Soul, strength, and so on. And on the left side across from the image of his Soul was a list of numbers.

Most of the numbers needed to be compared to the information on her clipboard, letting her search for discrepancies. Alphys didn't have everything memorized after all. She did vaguely notice his HP. While most healers would have the equipment to measure it within a tenth of a point, the Soul Monitor would go three decimal points rather than rounding it up. Small bumps and scratches wouldn't be enough to take off a full point of HP; if it was, Sans would have died the first time he tripped over something. As she went over the other numbers and tried to make sense of it (the brightness of a Soul might fluxuate, but photons shouldn't occasionally register as _negative_ ), she quietly noticed his HP was at 0.978 at the moment. Not low enough to be noticed easily since it would round up, but it was enough for Alphys to take note.

She went through the strange readings, trying to make sense of it compared to her previous studies. Some of the information was fairly straightforward, even if mildly surprising. The rest was unusual, the numbers often falling outside of acceptable ranges. The bar graphs would flicker and fluxuate. No wonder Dr. Sola's systems couldn't handle it.

A few hypotheses began to form in her mind. They were all pretty farfetched and nearly impossible. Alphys would normally reject them. But she couldn't do that because they were her only explanations so far and they fit the facts. It was crazy and she would need to look for some of her books to work out the details, but it was the best she had.

She glanced at the display again. Sans' HP had fallen to 0.976 in the time it took her to study the rest of the readings. It still wasn't a significant drop, even with his low base HP. But it was something to keep a close eye on.

"I m-might have an idea w-what's wrong with Sans," Alphys said carefully.

"REALLY?" asked Papyrus, looking up from his unconscious brother. "YOU KNOW HOW TO HELP HIM?"

She cringed at his hopeful tone and admitted, "N-not exactly. But I m-might be on the r-right track. I might know what's causing this."

"That's more than what that healer managed," Undyne said. "You'll figure out how to fix this."

She wasn't a healer. As much as Alphys knew about Souls, she wasn't a healer. She worked with technology. She engineered solutions. She wasn't meant to fix problems like this. But if her hypothesis was right, then they needed more than a healer. They needed a miracle worker. It was impossible and she didn't even know if there _was_ a solution. She didn't even know if she could make it better. But Alphys knew that no one else would be able to figure this out.

She was once the Royal Scientist. She may not have always felt like she deserved the title, that she'd cheated to get it. But she was still the only monster who might have a chance at solving this problem. Alphys couldn't let everyone down. She had to live up to that title. She had to use her brain and save him. She couldn't fail this time, no matter how impossible the situation.

Alphys checked the display on the Soul Monitor again. His HP was now at 0.973, which confirmed it was definitely dropping. Not by much and not quickly, but he didn't have much to spare. The current situation must be putting stress on his body. Any other monster and the strain wouldn't really be noticeable, but he just didn't have much to work with. Until they could solve what was afflicting him, someone would need to stay with Sans and make sure that tiny fractional trickle didn't worsen.

"I... I'll need to d-doublecheck a couple numbers, but I think I know what's happening to him," Alphys said hesitantly. "Papyrus, could you stay with your brother for me? K-keep watch on his HP on the screen. L-let me know if it drops below half a point or if the alarms g-get louder and more high-pitched. That would r-really help."

Papyrus glanced up at her briefly before looking back at his older brother, staring at his tense expression and uneasy unconscious state. While it was important to keep an eye on Sans, there was another reason why she suggested the idea. There was a reason why she asked Papyrus specifically. The younger skeleton needed something to do, something to focus on. Standing around helplessly while Sans suffered would be horrible. The only thing worse would be for Papyrus to be separated from him. Without being able to see his brother, Alphys was afraid his imagination might start conjuring far more frightening ideas. Asking him to keep a close watch on Sans was exactly what Papyrus wanted to do anyway and would give him a task so he wouldn't feel useless in the face of an emergency.

Sitting down on the edge of the bed, Papyrus nodded and said, "I'LL TAKE CARE OF HIM! YOU CAN COUNT ON ME!" He reached over and gripped Sans' hand gently. "HE'LL BE ALL RIGHT. I KNOW IT."

"Thanks," she said, giving him a weak smile. Alphys turned towards the others. "If you c-come with me, I'll check the results and... W-well, I'll tell you my hypothesis."

"Of course, Dr. Alphys," said Toriel, standing to her feet. "Please lead the way."

As she directed them towards the right direction, she noticed Frisk glancing back. They had a strange expression on their face.

* * *

Most of the Underground was empty now, but there were still a few monsters around. He tried to avoid letting them see him, spying from a safe distance. He'd mastered that skill long before he started following Chara.

No, _Frisk_. They were Frisk, not Chara. He was better about remembering they were different people, but he still sometimes forgot. But he was trying.

He was trying a lot lately. Ever since he shattered the Barrier and most of the monsters left, he'd been trying. He wasn't Asriel anymore. He had the memories, but he couldn't be that person anymore. He'd done too much. He was still Flowey, a small flower with no Soul of his own. But he was trying.

Without a Soul, he couldn't care about anyone. He couldn't connect with them properly. It was frustrating, especially at first, because he knew what feelings should feel like. And even though he _knew_ he should be nice and kind to others, it didn't seem as important with his feelings so muted and limited. With no Soul, the passage of time making it harder to remember what it felt like to _feel,_ and a power that no child should be entrusted with, Flowey started forgetting that monsters weren't just... pieces in a game. With all his Resets, he knew everyone better than they knew themselves and he knew how they would react in every circumstance. He tried every possible outcome because avoiding boredom was the only thing that mattered by then.

That wasn't true anymore. Things had changed. They weren't predictable anymore. And even if he still couldn't feel properly, there was _something_. Containing six human Souls and the Souls of every single monster in the Underground, no matter how briefly, left an impression. He didn't have real emotions, but he had... echoes, maybe? Compared to feeling nothing, even a little bit was a good change. The vague imprint of those Souls and the loss of his ability to control the timelines gave him a reason to try again.

He couldn't be Asriel anymore, but he could be a better Flowey. He could be someone worthy of Frisk's kindness and faith. He couldn't face the idea of going to the Surface with so many people he'd hurt, but he wasn't bored in the Underground due to all the changes and he could observe things at a safe distance.

Which was how Flowey noticed a bunch of familiar faces storming into the Underground. Neither Papyrus nor Undyne were particularly stealthy or subtle at the best of times. He managed a quick look when they came down, noticing that Papyrus was carrying something in his arms, but Flowey retreated the instant he saw Toriel. He couldn't face her or Asgore yet. But curiosity compelled him to follow at a distance.

When they took the elevator down to the Royal Scientist's True Lab, they could have easily lost him. Not only was Hotlands difficult for him to navigate with his usual methods due to the magma, but it was also indoors. But Flowey knew all the secrets. He knew more about that place and what happened there than almost anyone alive. But more importantly, he knew where the loose floor tiles were.

Taking care to keep his movements slow and easily missed, Flowey pried up the corner of a tile just enough to peek out. The alarm sounds were annoying enough that he missed having hands to block it out, but not painfully loud. He spotted a bunch of beds, Toriel, Frisk, Undyne, and Alphys. Toriel and Frisk seemed upset, but fine. The nerd was busy playing scientist and Flowey made certain to pay attention to what she was poking around at. He knew it was important and he was smart enough to understand what she was doing. But his focus was on the pair of skeletons.

His feelings, as limited and more memory than substance they might be, were mixed when it came to the smiley trashbag called Sans. The older skeleton was more dangerous than his laidback and comedic exterior would suggest. Sans caused him more than a few Resets. _Painful_ Resets. Pushing him never worked out well for Flowey. But he'd worn away at Sans until almost no hope remained behind that tired grin by the time Frisk took control of the timeline. And now that he was trying to do better, Flowey could admit it was wrong to toy with him for so long. Even if Sans couldn't remember like Frisk and Flowey, it caused damage he didn't deserve.

Papyrus was different. Flowey never hated him. There was something familiar about him that always nagged Flowey. Hurting him wasn't interesting or satisfying. And it always provoked the worst reactions from Sans. Even though he tried every outcome, Flowey kept his harassment of Papyrus to a minimum. Even without his Soul or the imprint of those countless stolen Souls, it just seemed wrong killing him. He would manipulate and use him, but he rarely killed Papyrus.

But there was something about the skeletons in front of him now. Sans was on the bed, hooked up to the nerd's equipment and completely out cold. No, it was more than that. The information on the screen, the alarms, and everyone's expressions told him that much. The smiley trashbag was dying. And watching his brother with a worried and hopeful look on his face was Papyrus. The entire situation was too familiar.

Flowey remembered being the younger brother sitting at the edge of their bed, watching the person he cared about most suffering. He remembered Chara fading away, dying right before their eyes even as he wished with all his Soul for a way to save them. They might have planned for it to happen, but it still hurt. The reality was far worse than just planning it out and talking about it. He remembered feeling so helpless, heart-broken, desperate, and drowning in guilt. Flowey didn't have a Soul anymore, but that memory was too strong and vivid for him to forget.

And right now, Papyrus was in the exact same situation he once was. His sibling was dying. Not through violence, but by something slower that was just... Flowey knew how the younger skeleton felt. He knew that pain and desperate hope. He understood. It wasn't right. It wasn't fair.

He was trying to be better. Flowey knew that meant doing what was right. It meant helping instead of hurting. And the echoing remains of all those Souls he'd once contained, all those people who cared for each other so much, told him he couldn't let another younger brother go through the pain of losing their siblings.

He wished someone tried to save Chara. Before they died. Before the buttercups. Before they came up with that plan.

But nothing could save Chara once they gathered those flowers. And Flowey wasn't sure there was anything that could save the smiley trashbag.

Alphys led Toriel, Frisk, and Undyne out of the room. She seemed to be heading towards where she kept the DT Extraction Machine, probably for some privacy to discuss the very strange readings on the loud machine. Flowey knew most of them wouldn't understand what they meant, but he had the advantage of thousands of Resets to learn _everything_ and a memory that could recall even things that no longer happened.

Or people who no longer existed.

His thoughts and the memories of emotions crawled and coiled around in his head as he tried to decide what to do. He knew he should do something, but he wasn't certain what it should be. And Flowey could no longer try every option. Was he even ready to start doing anything other than watching again?

Then he met Frisk's gaze briefly as they left the room, the kid clearly knowing he was there. The look they gave him in that moment was a complicated one. There was reassurance, trust, and an offer of friendship, but also pleading for help and worry. And as always, enough determination to tear the universe apart to get what they wanted if necessary. And what Frisk wanted was for everyone to be safe and happy.

...Fine, he'd help the idiot fix their smiley trashbag friend. It was the right thing to do. And it would be interesting and new. It was clearly the best choice.

Flowey slipped back down, vanishing into the dirt under the building. He needed a different loose floor tile.


	3. Explaining

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’ve discovered how much I like writing from Alphys’ point of view. She’s an adorable bundle of nerves, but she’s also great for explaining stuff to the characters and to my audience. She’s a smart character and so she would know a lot of info, especially when it involves science. And what she doesn’t already know, she can figure it out at least a little. 
> 
> If only she had some confidence in herself. But that is an ongoing project for her. Her self-esteem is improving. It just takes time. But in the meantime, Sans is still trapped in the Void. And he’s not alone.

The voice made Sans want to clutch the sides of his skull. It made him want to curl up in a ball. It made him want to run, to flee, to escape. Primal terror hit hard.

It wasn't just the volume, though it was nearly deafening. It was the utter wrongness of the sound. No voice should be capable of producing that. The sounds made nails on a chalkboard seem soothing. He wasn't even certain how he understood the words. It shouldn't be language. The loud, grating, harsh noises shouldn't be understandable as any form of language. Everything about the voice was unnatural.

And insane. When he managed to get past the utter wrongness, Sans managed to make out a bit more detail about it. The tone and words spoke of madness. Pure and utter madness and desperation. Whatever creature lurked in the darkness was unnatural, desperate, and insane. And that was a dangerous combination.

" **easy there** ," he said, raising his hands in a calming fashion. " **you want out? i get it. i need to get back myself. don't know what you mean about a soul in the way-** "

"N _O_ m **O** _ **R**_ _e_. c A _N't_ **s** **T** _A_ _Y_.  T _O_ _o_ **m** u _C_ H. _E_ **Sc** _ **a**_ _P_ e. _**n**_ eW **B** _ **o**_ _D_ Y. **e** _ **S**_ _C_ A **pe** _**i**_ N N _ew_ **b** _od_ Y."

He flinched at the voice, his very Soul shaking at the sound. He caught glimpses of the creature barely, black against infinite darkness. It was huge and amorphous, shifting like melted wax in a lava lamp. He was facing a blob or something. And the words sent a shiver up his magically-created spine. There was something ominous about it.

" **well, your current body isn't exactly something to write home about, but-** "

"H _Om_ **e**. **wA** Nt TO _**g**_ _o_ H _ **O**_ _me_.  pLE _A_ se **MA** K _e_ i _T_ S **to** P. G _Ot_ **t** O **G** _ **e**_ t O **u** **T**." The amorphous creature thrashed wildly, but not quite aiming towards him yet. "S _OU_ **L** _**in**_ W _aY_.  SoU _L_ **In** _w_ _A_ Y. S **O** ul _I_ N _w_ _ **a**_ _y_ O _F_ **Ne** w **B** _ **o**_ _D_ Y. R _eP_ _LaC_ E. R **Epl** a _Ce_. R _E_ _ **P**_ _ **L**_ _ **A**_ **C** _ **E**_!"

Sans had barely a second to figure out what the words meant before tendrils of darkness erupted, stabbing at him. Even with his lightning-fast reflexes, dodging without gravity or the ground beneath his feet was difficult. The attacks sliced by him, barely missing. He twisted and ducked around the strikes while trying to wrap his mind around the terrifying idea the creature was describing.

The moment the onslaught ended, Sans summoned his magic. He had no idea how well it might work in a place with no gravity, but it was the best idea he had about slowing the creature down. He reached out with his Blue Magic and-

 _Wrong. Wrong. Wrong_.

His Soul twisted and trembled, sickened and horrified by what he saw. Hundreds of tiny lights glowed blue in the darkness. The sight resembled stars shining in the sky. But it wasn't beautiful or hopeful. It was _wrong_. Everything about it was wrong just like the voice. He couldn't... He couldn't... What he saw and what his magic felt couldn't be real. His entire being rebelled against the sickening and unnatural sight.

 _Wrong. Wrong._ _ **Wrong**_.

It wasn't hundreds of Souls. It was hundreds of _pieces_. The creature's Soul was shattered and _it still_ _ **lived**_. Nothing could survive in that state. Even the psycho flower was only _missing_ a Soul. Creepy, but acceptable. Something existing with their Soul functioning in _that_ state shouldn't be possible. It was an abomination against all magic and science.

 _ **Wrong. Wrong. WRONG**_.

His body might be fake, but it reacted to Sans distress and horror. He shuddered and unwillingly retched. His arms wrapped around his body, trying to ground himself. He struggled to breathe through the nausea.

_**WRONG!** _

_This_ was why some humans early on screamed or flinched when they first saw a skeleton monster, Frisk just saying that some people found them scary. _This_ was why. Being confronted by something that should be dead that refuses to die...

" **what...** ," he managed to choke out, releasing his grip on the Blue Magic so he wouldn't have to see or feel that shattered Soul anymore. " **what** _ **are**_ **you?** "

"l **o** _ **S**_ _T_. T _Ra_ _P_ P **Ed**. _Es_ c **aP** E. **m** uS _T_ E _Sc_ apE. **S** O **ul** i _n_ _WAy_. I N w **aY**. _in_ **W** _ **AY**_!"

The inky blackness shifted and he caught a glimpse of white. A shape. A stark white face, cracked and broken with empty black eye sockets. The mouth turned up in a mad grin.

"R _E_ _pl_ _ **AC**_ **E**. R ePL **ac** e _S_ _ **O**_ **Ul**. _R_ _E_ P **La** ce s _OU_ L **aN** D _Tak_ E BOD **y**."

" **not gonna to happen** ," Sans said, summoning up a flurry of bones and hurling them at the dark mass.

* * *

"I d-don't really know how else to put it," Alphys said slowly, looking over the information one last time, "but Sans' Soul isn't where it's supposed to be. It's still connected to his body, _barely_ , b-but it isn't _there_. His Soul isn't in his body anymore. Th-that's why he collapsed and can't w-wake up. He's n-not really here."

They were in the room where she kept the DT Extraction Machine. She'd found the last chart she needed to confirm her hypothesis. She never did like the thing. The machine looked vaguely like some kind of skull and always sent a chill down her spine. She didn't even remember building it. The thing just seemed to have always existed.

Or maybe someone else helped build it.

Her thoughts on the topic slipped away, but she barely noticed. Her mind was occupied with the current matter. Three sets of eyes were looking to her for answers and Alphys needed to provide them.

"How would such a thing be possible? His Soul would not be able to exist so far from his body," said Toriel.

"It isn't a question of d-distance," she said. "His Soul is both r-really close and r-really far. F-from what I can tell, his Soul is outside this reality."

She received a lot of confusion from her audience. Though not from Frisk. The child appeared to understand what she meant. That should have been surprising to Alphys, but they were always a bright kid. And she'd already shown them some of her good anime and they tended to have interesting plotlines. That might have helped.

"I admit, I do not completely understand what that means," said Toriel. "I suppose the most important question is if you know a way to restore his Soul where it belongs?"

Alphys cringed at her simple question. Although she had a basic understanding about the theories of alternate universes and realities, she wasn't an expert on the topic. Even figuring out the strange readings were pointing towards his Soul being outside of reality took a lot of luck. If she hadn't long since translated that strange report she'd discovered at the back of a drawer, one she didn't remember writing and wasn't sure how she understood the strange language at all, she wouldn't have realized the significance of negative photons. She wasn't a healer or a theoretical physicist. She didn't know how to fix this.

But she planned to be a real quick study.

"I n-need some books from home," she said. "On the b-big shelf in the living room, bottom-left corner. Th-the first four. I sh-should be able to use them to w-work out a solution. I hope..."

"Very well," said Toriel gently. "Would it help you if I went to collect the necessary materials from your home?"

Relaxing a little at the offer, Alphys nodded and said, "Y-yes, that would be f-fantastic. I c-could keep working with the m-materials already here and m-maybe make some progress. C-could you do that, Miss Toriel?"

She'd always struggled to figure out what to call the former queen, almost as much as she'd struggled to get comfortable enough to speak to her at all. Calling her "Your Majesty" wouldn't work since she no longer held or wanted that title. And she certainly didn't want anything to do with the name "Mrs. Dreemurr." The tension with her ex-husband remained too strong for that (though Alphys had hope and fanfiction). Alphys wasn't certain if calling her "Miss Toriel" displayed the amount of respect she wanted to give the former co-ruler of the Underground. But it was the best she could come up with and it worked for Toriel's students. So that's what she went with and hoped for the best.

"Of course. I am happy to help in any way that I am able," said Toriel. "We all care about Sans and want him to recover. Do you have a list of books so I know which to collect?"

"R-right," Alphys said with a nod.

She dove for one of her spare lab coats hanging in the corner. Alphys pulled it on, the familiar fabric like a protective suit of armor and providing a sense of comfort. Once properly dressed, she pulled a notepad and pen out of her pocket and scribbled down the necessary titles and authors. While a very low-tech method of recording information, it was sometimes handy to have access to ordinary paper for these types of tasks.

"Here," she said, handing over the list. "Undyne, c-could you give her the keys to the house?"

Her girlfriend gave a sharp nod, dug around in her pocket, and tossed over the tangled mass of keys and anime keychains. Toriel gave short nod of thanks. Then Toriel turned towards Frisk.

"Do you wish to come with me, my child, or remain with your friends here?"

Frisk spread their arms, gesturing at the entire room. Everything about their posture made it clear that there was nowhere else they would be when their friends were in trouble.

That was the thing about Frisk. They could be extremely eloquent with subtle expressions and body language. Not that they couldn't talk when they wanted to. Especially when they chose to flirt. But overall, they tended to be on the quiet side and fairly soft-spoken. Though Alphys had noticed that they tended to be chattier around monsters than other humans. And when they were upset, Frisk seemed to nearly lose their voice completely. Considering the circumstances, she wasn't surprised they were silent.

"Very well, my child. I shall return as swiftly as I am able," she said. "And perhaps Dr. Alphys will make vast progress before my return. I have faith in her and that Sans will be fine."

The former queen left the room, probably to borrow the keys for Papyrus' car on the way out. Alphys hoped she could live up Toriel's belief. And she really hoped that Toriel returned with books soon because Alphys felt completely in over her head.

"So, uh... how exactly did his Soul end up in a different reality? How is something like that possible?" asked Undyne, crossing her arms in front of her.

"W-well, that's where it gets w-weird," Alphys admitted. She started wringing her hands a little. "There's n-not much that could do anything like this. The c-connection between a Soul and a monster or human's body is t-too closely bound for just anything to p-pull them apart. N-not without k-k-kill-killing him." She ducked her head briefly, barely able to get the dreaded word out. "That connection is too fundamental and forms at the s-start of the monster's existence. No piece of magic c-can match or exceed that without destroying one or the other."

Alphys glanced at Frisk. The child seemed to be following her words closely. They were always bright for their age.

"There is one c-connection, however, that can form at the s-same time and be j-just as integrated and powerful," she continued. "Not all monsters have it, but... W-well, it would be the only thing I can imagine having a s-strong enough influence on his Soul like this." Alphys shifted nervously, still wringing her hands. "Even with the s-stranger readings, my equipment proved it. At least one of Sans and Papyrus' p-parents is a Boss Monster."

Undyne's eye widened and Alphys didn't blame her. Neither of the skeletons mentioned parents, making them complete mysteries to their friends. And Boss Monsters were rare.

Humans talk about chromosomes and genetics, but even the monsters could inherit traits from their ancestors. Using human terminology, being a Boss Monster was a recessive trait. The distinctive light silver sheen to a monster's white Soul, the ability for their Souls to last a few seconds after death, stronger than average magic, and the lack of aging beyond basic maturity until they reproduced... All of it could skip multiple generations before reappearing in a family. Two Boss Monsters, such as Toriel and Asgore, would always have a Boss Monster child. But only one as a parent held no guarantees beyond generally having more magic than they would otherwise.

And the same guarantee that all offspring of Boss Monsters had: a flow of magic from parent to child that also caused the Boss Monster to age.

Sans wasn't a Boss Monster. But the readings proved he was the child of one. And the connection between parent and child that allowed them to give their offspring a steady stream of magic during their childhood was just as fundamental and deeply integrated as the one between body and Soul. Some believed it might even be stronger because it would form before the body existed.

"The only p-possible explanation is that someone used that connection to overwhelm the bond between b-body and Soul," Alphys said. "It sounds impossible, b-but it's the only way I can imagine it. But I d-don't know how his Soul ended up in another reality."

"Because that's where Gaster is."

Alphys couldn't help yelping in surprise and fear at the unexpected voice. She spun around and flinched at the glimpse of green and yellow in the corner of the room. None of them had very clear memories of the events that brought down the Barrier, but she remembered the flower that attacked them. The strange golden flower that she knew must have been from the Determination experiment, their attempt to create a vessel to contain the Souls they intended to collect. And now it was staring at her.

"NGAHHH!"

Undyne, unlike her girlfriend, was not one to freeze in shock. Where Alphys stared at the sentient flower, the humanoid fish-based monster summoned up a handful of magical spears and hurled them. Her target had quick reflexes though. The flower ducked back down through the gap in the tile and a crack in the foundation, barely avoiding a painful death as a pincushion. And the moment her blue spears vanished, he popped back up.

"Wow, someone can hold a grudge," he said. "Though your aim needs some work. It's probably the one eye thing, huh?"

Her teeth bared in a dangerous expression, Undyne said, "You really want to test your luck? Because I have a lot more spears and you're not going to sucker punch me this time."

And suddenly Frisk was between the pair, arms outstretched and blocking any further attacks. Neither could do anything without hitting the child. And no matter what he did last time they saw him, the flower didn't seem eager to hurt the kid.

Meeting their disapproving stare briefly before ducking his head, he muttered in a toneless voice, "Sorry, I shouldn't have appeared without warning like that after what I did last time. And... sorry about last time too. I'd say I feel bad about it, but..." He somehow shrugged with his stem. "You know how it is, Frisk."

The kid nodded. They then patted his head in what was clearly a comforting gesture. Alphys felt like she'd missed something important. It reminded her of the time she accidentally got some of her anime mixed up and skipped a couple episodes of a series.

"Frisk, maybe you forgot, but that thing TRIED TO KILL YOU!" said Undyne.

"So did you when you first met them. You chased them all the way through Waterfall, trying to skewer them with magical spears. Now you're 'besties.' Maybe trust the idiot's judgment!"

Frisk nudged him with their elbow, silencing the flower. He took a deep breath, visibly trying to calm down.

"Okay, let's start over," he said. Then, smiling brightly, he remarked in an overly cheerful voice, "Howdy! I'm Flowey. Flowey the flower. And I have a pretty good idea what's going on with the smiley tra- with _Sans_. In fact, I probably know more about what's happening than any of you. Even _with_ the nerd's brain. And I _might_ have an idea how to start fixing him."

Silence rang out for a few moments. Alphys stared at the flower, trying to make sense of his words. Her thoughts seemed to be wading through mud.

"Y-you know what's happening? Y-you understand all of this?" she asked, gesturing towards her clipboard of information.

"How?" asked Frisk in a quiet voice, breaking their silence.

Flowey gave them a mildly annoyed look and said, "What part of 'I've read every book and burned every book' do you not understand? I've had a long time to study every scrap of information in the Underground. That includes all those science books on string theory, the blueprints on various inventions, and the secret reports that Alphys keeps around here about those Determination experiments. Trust me, you can learn a lot when you're desperate enough to avoid boredom. I learned everything possible before I went for... less acceptable methods of entertaining myself."

Alphys knew she was missing a lot of context. Flowey and Frisk were keeping something between them. The two knew each other far better than she would expect. But the important part was that the flower apparently knew enough to be helpful.

Though it wasn't exactly comforting to know he went through her belongings.

"Skip that stuff and go back to the first thing you said," Undyne snapped. "Who or what is Gaster? And what does it have to do with Sans?"

Adopting a wry smile, Flowey said, "Alphys was on the right track earlier. He's Sans and Papyrus' father. He just... doesn't exist anymore."

"He's dead?"

"No," said Flowey, shaking his head at Undyne's words. "At least, I don't think so. It's... complicated." He sighed tiredly. "Look, my memory is a little weird. I can remember things no one else can. A while back, there was a person named Dr. W. D. Gaster. Then he fell and vanished. And now he's never existed. No one remembers and, other than a few odd leftover pieces, there's no evidence of the monster ever living in the first place."

"Um... I... I d-don't understand," Alphys stammered. "What d-do you mean?"

"For me, it was a long time ago. But I remember enough," said Flowey. "And I know which pieces don't fit. So tell me, nerd, who was the Royal Scientist before you?"

Alphys opened her mouth to answer, but nothing happened. It should have been obvious. The name of the previous Royal Scientist should have been on the tip of her tongue. It was a name that should have been shared and discussed through her entire education.

But it wasn't. The more she thought about it, the more it seemed to slip away. And for once, she didn't immediately push that realization aside.

"Who built the Core?" he continued.

She didn't know. With how vital it was to life in the Underground, all monsters should know that name. Alphys dredged through the dark recesses of her mind for even a hint of the name. But the information just wouldn't appear.

She glanced at Undyne. Her girlfriend looked equally confused. It didn't make any sense. There were just these blank spots in what should be basic knowledge.

"Funny, huh?" said Flowey. "You don't even notice what's wrong until someone makes you face it. He was the Royal Scientist and he built the Core. You were his apprentice, helping him with the Determination experiments. Mostly the earlier parts. Like building that thing," he said, jerking his head at the DT Extraction Machine. "Or injecting random golden flowers with the stuff."

Alphys cringed. They didn't intend to give a plant sentience. She didn't even know how it could have happened. But somehow they ended up with a strange flower that once attacked them and yet was trusted by Frisk. She didn't know if she should call what they did a kindness or a cruelty. All she knew was that those experiments never stopped creating more unexpected results and very few of them that she liked.

"I was already gone by that point, though it took you a while to notice I was missing. You were kind of busy with the Fallen Down monsters stored down here, all of them lying unconscious in those beds," said Flowey. "I was still new to everything and figuring out how to deal with being a Soulless flower. And I couldn't handle it very well."

He laughed mockingly, as if he saw his past self as a huge joke. It made Alphys shiver.

"I decided to try something rather idiotic. And I figured the best place to try it was near the Core, as close as I could get. Hotlands might have been better with all the magma, but I preferred a normal fall to burning. I figured I'd hit metal machinery first. Needless to say, that plan didn't work out," continued Flowey. "But it did give me a nice view of when things went wrong.

Frisk patted his stem, giving him a reassuring smile. There was definitely something the kid wasn't telling them. They knew more about the flower than Alphys could even guess.

She had to admit he was right about one thing though. A fall seemed better than a dunk in magma. That's why she went to the waterfall near the dump at her lowest point. Thank goodness for Undyne...

"From a lot of studying and a few remaining files, I'm pretty sure Dr. Gaster was doing an experiment in the Core, trying to incorporate aspects of his other machine in the design. His original invention was meant to mess with space and time, but it didn't work. The broken piece of junk just didn't have the power to do what he wanted. So he tried to make the Core do it instead as well as produce power like normal. But something messed up."

Flowey didn't seem sad about what he was describing. And he didn't seem happy about it either. He just related his story calmly. The most she could be certain of is that he found the recollection interesting.

"It took a while to piece it all together. And I couldn't get too close because there's no ground in the Core. It's all constructed machinery built over molten magma. But when Gaster activated the new features, it backfired. A few monsters were swallowed up when they tried to escape, Gaster fell in, and even Sans got hit by the weird energy it produced. Of course, he escaped the worst of it and gained teleporting as a side effect. Lucky..." Flowey shook his head. "I sort of lost my balance at that point and almost died, but... I was pretty determined to live by that point again."

He was hiding something. That last part didn't sound quite right to her. Somehow Alphys knew there was more to his words than what he was just saying.

"Anyway," he continued, "after that, no one remembered him or the other saps swallowed up. I think Sans remembers because he got hit by that stuff and I remember because I'm not exactly normal. But not anyone else."

"Assuming you're telling the truth," said Undyne, crossing her arms, "how do you know that accident didn't kill him?"

"Just because your girlfriend is a genius doesn't mean you should be an idiot," he snapped, his eyes darker and his mouth sharper than a moment before. "The geek told you already the smiley trashbag was yanked out of reality by his connection to his Boss Monster parent. And even _you_ should realize that bond is no longer there when one of them is dead." His face shifted back to normal as he looked away, staring at the floor. "And sometimes you can see them. Echoes of those lost monsters. Most are empty shells, no longer real or even truly alive. Just memories given shape. And they never last long. But there's a place in Waterfall, partway between the Core and the only person who survived that accident, where a door sometimes appears."

"I saw it once," said Frisk quietly.

Flowey looked up at the child and said, "I know. I saw you. Behind that door was Gaster. He vanished quickly, but it was him. I think he's still alive in that place because he's a Boss Monster. His Soul was just a little more durable than the rest of them. But he's alive and he's yanked your friend's Soul into whatever weird void he's stuck in."

"Th-this is a lot to take in," said Alphys. "B-but everything you've told us m-makes sense with what I know and what my m-machine detected."

It explained so much. It explained the odd blank spots in her memory about certain basic facts. It explained the existence of various machines with no clear origins. It explained a few scattered reports she didn't remember writing and even sometimes in languages she couldn't remember even learning. And it explained how Sans' Soul could be pulled into another reality. One impossibility causing another.

The magnitude of it all terrified her. It threatened to overwhelm her, the sheer size of that mess. How was she going to fix this? She didn't even know where to start.

How was she supposed to pull Sans' Soul back into his body, reversing whatever his Boss Monster parent did? A parent that no one remembered and was tossed out of existence? How was she supposed to fix it?

She was going to fail them. She wouldn't be able to do this. She wasn't good enough. She wasn't smart enough.

She couldn't do this.

Sans was in trouble and she couldn't fix it. She couldn't do anything right.

Failure. Useless. Pathetic.

"Hey, _nerd_ ," shouted Flowey, yanking her out of her mental downward spiral. "We don't have time for you to freak out. Do you want to help that smiley trashbag or not? Because I told you I might know how to fix him."

"How?" Undyne asked.

He straightened his stem and said, "Fix the equipment that started it all. And maybe adjust the Core to the settings it was that day. Sans' Soul is in the weird void outside of this reality, so we need to access it if we want to get him back." He glanced around the room. "Look, do you remember where you stuck the blueprints for the Core? The different rooms are modular and can be rearranged. I need to remember how they were set up."

Her mind already racing with possibilities now that she had an achievable goal, Alphys said, "Upstairs. I have s-some upstairs."

"Great," Flowey muttered, his voice dripping in sarcasm. "Just one problem. There's nowhere for me to get in."

"W-we can work around that."

"Well, that takes care of the Core and its modifications. Too bad the original machine has been gone forever. That would have been helpful."

Raising their hand slightly, Frisk murmured, "It's not."

"Not what?" asked Flowey, blinking in surprise.

"Not gone," they said. "Sans kept it. At his old house in Snowdin. I have a key."

"Oh. That makes a lot more sense. The door appeared midway between the Core and the other machine. Okay. That's even better. We work out how to wire the machine into the Core and maybe it'll be stable this time rather than tossing us all out of reality," said Flowey.

Alphys stared at him a moment, blinking in shock. He met her gaze firmly. A small ember of annoyance clearly began to form.

"What?" asked Flowey sharply.

"I can't believe you understand all this."

He grinned and said, "Are you kidding? I could probably get a couple of PhDs by now. You know, if I'd ever finished school."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know if anyone has ever tried this approach with Flowey before, but I thought it made sense. If he's tried every single option available to him in the Underground, he's probably learned a lot. As he mentions in the game, he's read every book and burned every book. He's got to have retained at least some of that information.


	4. Remembering

They waited until Alphys and Undyne left the room, the scientist telling Flowey to meet her near the front entrance of the lab. They waited until the two of them were alone before they spoke. This conversation didn't need an audience. They needed to talk without having to give too many excuses or explanations or vague answers. Besides, it had been a while.

"Should I call you 'Asriel'?" Frisk asked softly. "When alone, I mean."

He shook his head and said, "I'm not him. Not really. Not completely. Flowey's fine."

Words didn't always come easy to Frisk. When calm and happy, they could talk forever. They could joke and laugh with their friends, flirt and compliment various monsters, and chat with familiar faces. But sometimes their throat seemed to lock up and nothing would come out. Sometimes, especially when scared, nervous, sad, or drowning in guilt, Frisk could barely force their voice to work. When that happened, they would have to either depend on other methods of communication or take it slow with short phrases.

"So your first Reset was when you fell near the Core? When Gaster fell?"

"Yeah. That was the only timeline I saw him. The first one. It never happened again, no matter what I tried. It was a long time ago, even without Saves and Resets getting involved. I only remember much _because_ it was so different."

"How long?"

"In normal time for everyone else? Not sure. A few years? Seven? Maybe a little longer or a little shorter. It took the Amalgamates a while to wake up and melt together and some monsters never gave up asking about them, sending letters to the nerd for _years_. And Snowdrake was tiny then. Then there was Papyrus in his striped sweater with teenager Sans suddenly having to take care of him and the house alone. Even back then he was a pain when I caught his attention. Though I did most of my more ambitious stuff later in the timeline. You know, when Dad grew more and more resigned to everything. I figured it would be easier to get to the Souls when his will was weaker," Flowey described, frowning slightly as they trailed off. Then he managed to shake off the memories and said, "For me, it was a lot longer. Thousands of Resets. Thousands of Saves loaded thousands of times. I stopped keeping track after about forty years. I also stopped Resetting back to the beginning as much. It was too predictable and dull. I stuck with the Saves."

"You don't seem that old."

"I died as a kid Boss Monster at eight years old and was reborn as a Soulless flower less than a decade ago normal time. Who knows what that does to the aging process. And even if I experience that extra time, it doesn't... make me feel older. Not when I go back. You know that. It doesn't stick with you right, even if you remember. Your brain stays young. Just like the EXP and LV doesn't follow you when the memories of the thrill do." He smirked, though there was a distant hint of sadness or some echo of the emotion. "Remember? You weren't always a sweet and innocent saint of a child. We both killed them."

He chuckled bitterly while Frisk looked away. Both of them made horrible and cruel decisions and Frisk didn't even have the excuse of lacking a Soul. Early on they made mistakes or there were accidents or they were scared, but sometimes the choice was deliberate. They just wanted to see what would happen. They didn't believe there would be consequences. What did it matter if they could Reset?

Except even when the EXP and LV were brought back to the start, Frisk remembered the addictive thrill. They remembered the way their heart pounded and raced. They remembered the pleasure and satisfaction each success brought. Their instinctive reactions became vicious and ruthless.

Violence was a hard habit to break. They forced themselves to recover their morals and relearn more peaceful behaviors. Frisk wanted to be good. They wanted to be a good person again. And they tried to keep the ones they loved happy and safe, no matter the cost. But Frisk needed to keep a close eye on their actions. They wanted to be good, but Frisk knew that they had to work hard to stay that way now. Violence was a hard habit to break and even now part of them wanted that thrill again.

"We shouldn't have this power," they said quietly, sitting down beside him. "It's too much. It's too tempting. We can't handle it."

"We're kids. We shouldn't have this much responsibility. No one should," admitted Flowey. "It messes with your head. But if we didn't have it, someone else would. Maybe someone even worse." He shook his head briefly. "You still handle it better than I did."

Then Flowey gave them a strange look. Frisk shivered, a prickling sensation creeping across their back.

"That reminds me. There's a blank spot in my memory. It took me a while to notice it. But I've had a couple dreams since then." Flowey's face changed, eyes darkening and fangs exposed. "You Reset after you freed everyone, didn't you? You even managed to mess with my memories. For the child who actually has a Soul, tossing everyone back in the Underground like that and making me play the villain again was pretty soulless. Want to explain? Were you trying to still Save me somehow after I told you to leave me alone or did you just want to play a little longer? You're supposed to better than me."

Frisk closed their eyes at the memory. They'd wanted that happy ending for everyone. Everything seemed perfect, even if they didn't Save Asriel like they wanted. They didn't want to mess with time ever again. But circumstances forced them to try one last time.

"About three months ago, Papyrus and Sans were babysitting while M- while _Toriel_ was finishing up a meeting to ensure her school would open on time," Frisk described slowly. "But when she came back and it was time for them to go, I hid the car keys and begged them to stay. It turned into a slumber party, but I just needed to delay them."

His expression softened a little. Flowey stared at them carefully.

"What happened the first time, Frisk?"

They remembered the original life on the Surface. That night, Papyrus and Sans left on time. Frisk remembered seeing Sans already dozing as the car pulled away. It was like any other night.

"They didn't stay. They left," Frisk said slowly, forcing each word out as their voice tried to desert them. "A man was also driving that night. Drunk."

He shouldn't have been in the area. He didn't live in Newer Home. He had no reason to be there. He just got lost, too drunk to realize his mistake. And he was going too fast.

"He ran a red light."

Too drunk, too fast, and too foolish to notice a red convertible. Papyrus would have expected others to try their hardest at driving just like him, so he probably wouldn't have been watching for such a blatant mistake. And Sans was snoozing. There was no squealing tires or car horns to warn them. The man wasn't sober enough to even try to stop.

"He crashed. Hard."

Mom didn't want to give them too many details, but people talk and they figured out enough. His car hit the side of the convertible, making it spin and crushing a lot of metal before coming to a stop. Pinned between a lamppost and the man's car. Air bags can only do so much.

"The man lived. Hurt, but alive."

He went to the hospital. There were some pretty bad injuries, but nothing life-threatening. The police were already charging him. There was no way he could deny his crimes. Everyone knew exactly what he'd done.

"Knocked out Papyrus. Hurt him. Lost a lot of HP."

The emergency responders were worried about him since the driver's side door was the one crushed by the impact. Even if it was Newer Home, it was humans who made it there first. Human doctors, hospitals, and paramedics might not have a lot of knowledge yet on monster biology, but they tried their best. They saw someone seriously hurt and helped them, trying not to jostle injuries as they transferred the unconscious skeleton to an ambulance. They took care of their patient and contacted the monsters' ambassador for advice on how best to proceed once they had him settled in a hospital room. They truly meant well.

They just didn't understand. They were humans and still learning about monsters. They didn't recognize what the dust in the other chair meant. They didn't realize there was another passenger in the car. They didn't know that someone didn't survive the crash. Not until they called Frisk's house.

"Sans...?" asked Flowey gently.

Frisk shook their head, unable to form the words. Mom tried to break the news gently when she realized it, but they'd figured it out by that point. Sans wouldn't leave his brother's side if he was hurt in a car crash. He would have been there. But no matter how Toriel explained it was an accident, Frisk felt guilty.

They couldn't banish the idea that they'd failed their friends. Even with all they did to get the monsters to the Surface, they couldn't even keep them alive and safe for a full year. What if the same thing happened to Mom? Or Alphys? Or even one of the Temmies or Froggits? Frisk felt like a horrible person. They'd tried so hard to prevent any more death. It might not be by their hand, but it still felt like their fault.

And while sneaking into the man's room to break him further might make the child feel better for a little while, it would help nothing. The violent impulse wouldn't fix anything in the end.

"I came back. To talk. To you. To ask before I tried," they finally managed to choke out.

Mom was probably worried sick when Frisk snuck out and vanished, running back to Mt. Ebbot without a word. But they had to. They left before Papyrus woke up. Before he found out. Frisk didn't want to watch him crumble. They didn't want to be there when Papyrus learned his brother died.

"You weren't happy. But you agreed. One more. Then never again."

He tried to talk them out of it. He nearly begged them to leave them alone, to let the monsters have the future that he and Chara died trying to give them. But Frisk was determined and desperate. But they wouldn't do it without his agreement because it wasn't fair to him. He eventually broke down and agreed to Frisk's request to go back to the beginning, which would give them plenty of time to figure out how to prevent the tragedy.

But of course, he had a few conditions that he wanted the child to agree to. The deal was Frisk would get them out of the Underground once more and that they would make Flowey forget it had happened before. That part was trickier, but they needed him to do everything the same again. But before the more thorough Reset, Frisk promised not to do it again. They _did_ try to see if they missed a way to Save Asriel while they traveled through the Underground again, but they knew it would be their last chance. Once the monsters escaped a second time, they would never go back.

After everything that happened and everything they'd done, Frisk owed the monsters a future. A real future not controlled by the whims of a child, one that had already succumbed to cruelty before.

Frisk promised Flowey before the Reset and Sans after they reached the Surface. Unless things went horribly wrong, something that threatened every monster, they wouldn't play with time like that again. They wouldn't do it again for the sake of a single person, no matter who it was or how much it hurt.

Flowey didn't remember the promise, but it still counted. Just like no one remembered Dr. Gaster, but he was still out there somewhere.

"Did try to Save you though. Wish I could."

"I know you do. But Asriel died a long time ago," he said quietly. Then, a little louder, Flowey asked, "And the man in this timeline? Do you know what happened to him if he didn't crash his car into them?"

Frisk smiled proudly and said, "Called the police that night about a drunk driver. Knew what street and around what time. Told them. Newspaper mentioned an arrest the next morning. No crashes though. No one hurt."

"Clever. Very clever." Flowey tilted his head and asked, "And are you going to fix things the same way this time?"

"No Resets. A Save won't prevent it. Your idea will have to work."

"Good. I'll do what I can to help. And I guess I better get started and check on the nerd then," he said. With a gentler tone, he added, "If you really want to save Sans, then I know he'll live. You might be an idiot sometimes, but you're determined to Save everyone. And nothing stops you when that happens. Not even me."

With that final bit of encouragement, the flower slipped back underground.

* * *

He stared down at his older brother, knowing that Sans was both there and not there at the same time.

At least, that's what it sounded like when Toriel explained it before borrowing his car keys. She didn't understand all the science behind it and Papyrus knew it wouldn't help him to hear the details. He'd leave that part to Alphys. But he could at least understand the idea of what was wrong. Somehow Sans' body was in front of him, but his Soul wasn't there.

Even with the thing that Alphys put on his face, his breathing still sounded labored. Quick and shallow breaths that made Papyrus' Soul clench in sympathy. His expression remained strained and tense, his normal grin twisted into a grimace. His head occasionally twitched to the side and his hands tried to close into fists at his sides, resulting in his phalanges digging into the blanket. In normal circumstances, Papyrus would assume his brother was trapped in a nightmare and try to wake him up.

But Sans wasn't there. Not really. All he could do was rest a hand on his brother's shoulder and hope for the best while watching the screen, paying attention to the only numbers he understood.

"Hey, Papyrus," said Undyne, walking back into the room.

Her voice was calmer and quieter than normal, her tone almost gentle. Alphys scurried past her towards the exit with her clipboard, giving him a brief smile of reassurance. Undyne didn't immediately follow, choosing to head towards him instead.

"Why don't you take a break? There's supposed to be a snack machine around here. You should get something. It might make you feel better. I'll keep an eye on him."

Papyrus glanced between her and the unconscious figure. After about a minute, he gave her a reluctant nod. It was even harder to let go of his grip on Sans and stand up.

"He'll be fine," she continued, patting Papyrus' shoulder a little harder than most would consider comforting. "He might be lazy, but he's tougher than he looks. And I can watch the screen with the nerd junk on it for a little while. I won't let anything happen to him."

He smiled at his friend. He knew it wasn't as bright as his normal smile, but it seemed to reassure Undyne a little. She sat down on the edge of the bed in the spot Papyrus just vacated. She stared firmly at the display screen, clearly taking her guarding duties quite seriously. Papyrus took one final look back before heading towards the door that should lead to the snack machine they passed.

As soon as he knew he was out of sight and hearing, Papyrus collapsed against the wall. He slid down until he was sitting on the floor, legs pulled close, and his back against the wall. His head dropped until it rested on his knees.

He couldn't do this. He couldn't lose his brother. He couldn't lose Sans.

Papyrus wasn't an idiot. He wasn't blind. Sans was in serious trouble and he couldn't help him. His brother was suffering and there was nothing he could do.

They'd always taken care of each other. Vague memories suggested there was once someone else at some point, someone who fed them, took Sans to school, made sure they had regularly checkups with a healer as they were growing, and smiled at them in a way that certainly proved their love. But Papyrus only really remembered Sans. He took care of Papyrus when he was small and kept him safe while growing up and Papyrus watched out for Sans once he was older. That's what brothers were supposed to do. They protected each other.

He'd always known Sans had low HP, but it never really seemed important. Papyrus never really thought about it. At least not until a few years ago when an illness swept through Snowdin.

A lot of monsters were affected by it and Papyrus ended up stuck in bed himself, his energetic self feeling drained and his bones aching. He was still young back then, still wearing striped shirts, and he'd hated being stuck in one place like that. But Sans kept him company for days while only apparently vanishing for short spans of time while he slept. And sometimes not even then. He read to him, made him soup, did smaller puzzles with him, and tried everything possible to make his younger brother comfortable. The fourth day of his sickness was when Papyrus truly began to understand the implications of his brother's HP.

Papyrus remembered waking up to the sounds of the front door opening and a combination of boredom, curiosity, and mild claustrophobia compelled him to investigate. So the young skeleton dragged his aching body out of bed, crawled across the floor with a blanket around him, slipped out of his room, and peered down at the living room from the landing above. He remembered how surprised he was to spot Grillby confronting Sans. While the bar owner seemed to keep an eye on them and probably everyone else in the community to an extent, he wasn't one for visiting monsters in their homes.

"...I haven't seen you in a few days," said Grillby, the elemental's voice filled with the soft crackle of fire.

" **been busy. a lot of your customers are probably not coming 'round much** ," Sans said with a shrug, picking up a book from the couch to look at before tossing it back.

"...Indeed. I closed the bar. Too many monsters are sick. It wasn't worth the trouble to stay open right now."

" **i know what you mean. it's hit my bro hard. and unless you need something, i should go check on him**."

" _Sans..._ ," said Grillby with a distinct snap-pop of flame. "...When did you last sleep?"

Even from his hiding place on the landing, Papyrus remembered seeing a flicker of something across his brother's face before his grin slipped firmly into place. But that flicker was enough to realize Sans had been hiding something. Papyrus had missed something whenever his brother was sitting beside his bed, trying to keep him company.

" **come on, grillbz. you know me. have i ever missed a chance to take a nap?** "

"... _When?_ ...Sans, you shouldn't be doing this. You know how contagious this illness has been. We've all seen how quickly it spreads."

" **i'm fine**."

"...Sans."

" **I am** _ **fine**_."

Even now, Papyrus hated when his brother used that tone. It made him shiver. And Sans' eyes were almost always dark when he spoke like that, meaning he was very upset. The only question was what kind of upset and who he was upset with.

"...Look at yourself. Taking care of your sick brother and working two jobs at the same time."

" **three** ," he mumbled, looking away from the elemental.

"...I am going to guess you've been even rushing home during your jobs to check on him. You are running yourself ragged. You're exhausted. You can't keep doing this."

He was right. Once Grillby pointed out, Papyrus could see it. His brother might be good at keeping secrets by hiding it with his body language and facial expressions, but the hints of how rundown he was becoming were there when he looked. Even years later Papyrus wondered how he didn't notice it before that point.

" **what? you afraid i'll work myself 'to the bone'?** " asked Sans, though his joke didn't sound as lively as it should. " **look, i appreciate the advice, but we need the gold and papyrus is sick. what do you expect me to do?** "

" _Not_ get yourself killed," snapped Grillby, louder than Papyrus ever remembered hearing the soft-spoken elemental. His flames even flared up briefly at the outburst. "...Sorry, but this illness has been rather serious. Dogaressa is worried about her parents and-"

" **i** _ **know**_ **it's bad. papyrus already lost fifteen hp from this** ," Sans interrupted, visibly struggling to keep his voice down. " **i have to make sure he gets better. i won't let anything happen to him.** "

"...Sans."

" **i won't lose anyone else. i can't. he's all i got left.** "

The memory of how his brother seemed to crumple in on himself and his exhaustion became truly visible as it consumed him, making Sans look smaller than normal, remained clear and distinct even years later. Papyrus remembered the urge to run down and hug him in an attempt to cheer him up. Only his weariness and aches from the illness kept him in place.

"...You won't lose him. I know you are scared, but he was a strong and healthy monster before this illness struck. He can afford to lose a few HP without any serious consequences." Grillby knelt down on one knee so that they were closer to the same height and placed a hand on the skeleton's shoulder. "...It is not fair that you must take on so much responsibility when you are barely out of stripes yourself. You are smarter and more capable than most monsters your age. But I'm worried about you."

" **hi, 'worried about you.' i'm sans.** "

Unwilling to be distracted by the weak joke, he continued, "...Sans, you are exhausted and that will make it easier for you to become sick. And it is already highly contagious and you have been around Papyrus constantly this entire time. It is a miracle you have not already fallen ill. You cannot go back in that room."

" **you're not our dad. you're not** _ **him**_. **so stop acting like it** ," he snapped. " **and i'm not leaving papyrus alone. i can't.** "

"...Then you'll die," said Grillby with a series of sharp cracks and pops. "...You'll finally get sick and have no strength left to resist the illness. And with your HP, you will be dust almost instantly. You know this."

Papyrus remembered the way his Soul clenched at his forthright and blunt statement. The very idea that he was describe was terrifying. He'd shivered and pulled his blanket tight. And Sans just stared at the ground, unyielding in his decision.

" **i'll be fine**."

"...If you won't see sense for your sake, then think of your brother. How do you believe Papyrus would react if he made you ill and you died from it?"

" **that's cheating**."

"...He'll blame himself. Completely. And you know he will never forgive himself. It wouldn't matter that it would be your fault for being stubborn. Papyrus would spend the rest of his life thinking he killed you."

" **it's not his fault i'm like this** ," he mumbled, staring at the floor as he wrapped his arms around himself.

"...And it's not his fault he's sick. You have done a good job watching out for him and I am certain that you will continue to be a good brother to him, but right now you need to step back. Listen, my bar is closed for a few days. I have no one to visit or anything else to do during that time. I'll take care of your brother and you can get some real sleep."

" **I... i can't...** "

"...I will let you know if his condition worsens or improves. I can watch over him while you rest. You need to sleep before you collapse." He sighed, a soft crackling noise. "...You can't do everything alone. Please let me help."

Papyrus stared down at his brother from his hiding spot. Sans didn't move for several minutes, just looking so tired. Papyrus remembered thinking about what Grillby said about how easily the illness that made him achy would kill his brother. The very idea wouldn't leave him alone. He'd always known that he couldn't play rough with his brother, but this really brought the severity of his low HP into focus.

Then Sans pulled back on his normal grin, hiding as much of his exhaustion and worry from his expression as possible. But Papyrus knew it was there now. He knew what to look for.

" **i always knew you were a 'warm-hearted' guy, grillbz. i guess a short nap wouldn't hurt. just... tell me immediately if anything happens.** "

Grillby nodded as he finally straightened up. Papyrus took that as a signal to creep back into his room. A little while later, the fire elemental came in with a bowl of oatmeal and no explanation for the change of caregivers. But Papyrus knew the reason. For the next few days, Grillby was the one who brought the younger skeleton food and ensured he was comfortable. Papyrus didn't complain about the change or how Grillby wasn't as good at bedtime stories. He was just happy when he felt better and Sans showed up in his room with the worst puns possible.

From then on, Papyrus kept his new realization at the back of his mind. He did his best to keep his brother healthy. He tried to encourage Sans to exercise more and to eat less greasy food. And when several monsters in Snowdin Fell Down and Papyrus saw how similar they looked to his brother in his near constant naps, he tried to keep him moving and active. After all, if he was awake, then Sans definitely hadn't Fallen Down too. Of course, Sans didn't exercise, didn't eat healthy, and didn't stop sleeping all the time, but Papyrus kept trying. And when his brother seemed to lose all spark of life behind his normal grin almost overnight for no apparent reason, Papyrus did everything possible to keep him involved and close by. He tried to pull Sans up when life dragged him down. No matter what happened, he tried to take care of his brother.

But he couldn't do anything this time. Papyrus curled in on himself. He could imagine how his brother felt years ago, powerless and worried. All Papyrus could do was sit there and wait for Sans to live or die.

He told himself that Alphys would save Sans. He knew she was smart and almost as amazing as him. He believed in her. Papyrus wanted it to be true with all his Soul.

But he couldn't deny the truth either. Papyrus didn't feel that great at the moment. He felt miserable, scared, and helpless. He was afraid that Sans would never wake up, would continue to weaken, and would soon disappear completely.

He was terrified that he would lose his brother and there was nothing he could do.

His sockets had long since filled with tears. His hands trembled as he tightened them around himself. He could barely keep his bones from rattling.

A desperate thought kept echoing in his skull. Please don't let Sans die. Please don't take his brother away. Please don't leave him alone. Please don't let it happen.

Even thinking about it hurt, making Soul clench tight and ache. He felt like he was suffocating. All of it was weighing him down and crushing him.

He couldn't lose him. He couldn't lose Sans. He couldn't...

It wasn't fair. They were on the Surface now. His brother even seemed to be growing happy and comfortable again. But now everything had gone wrong. It wasn't fair.

He couldn't help Sans. He couldn't do anything.

It wasn't fair. It wasn't right.

He was going to lose his big brother.

Papyrus tried to resist that thought and stay positive, but he just couldn't.

He was going to lose Sans.

Tiny fingers grabbed onto his radius, startling him into popping his head up. Frisk stood there with a worried expression. Instantly Papyrus started wiping away signs of tears with his glove, trying to regain his composure a little. He wasn't supposed to be like this.

"OH, FRISK, I DIDN'T HEAR YOU COME OVER!" he said, giving them as bright of a smile as he could manage. "DO NOT BE CONCERNED FOR THE GREAT PA-"

His words were cut off as the human child started climbing, forcing themselves into his lap before pulling their small form close enough to wrap their arms around his neck. Papyrus didn't move immediately, but he eventually returned the hug. Frisk seemed to be putting all their strength into the embrace. It was so solid, grounding, and real. He hadn't realized how much he needed this. Papyrus held tight to the small child, trying to recapture his normal confidence.

"SORRY! I'M NOT QUITE MY USUAL TERRIFIC SELF TODAY! NYEH HEH..."

"Not your fault," Frisk murmured. "Never your fault."

Small hands patted his back as far as they could reach. They were tinier than Sans and a lot squishier with their skin and fluffy hair, but holding the child made him feel a little better. Frisk was young, but there was something reassuring about their presence. Like nothing could ever dissuade or change them from whatever they wanted. They were reliable.

He needed something reliable when he couldn't even depend on his brother's Soul staying in his body.

"I CAN'T LOSE HIM..."

He didn't mean to speak. He didn't mean to say that aloud. The words just slipped out and Papyrus tightened his grip on the child.

"You won't. Me, Alphys, and everyone will save him. We have a plan."

"REALLY?" asked Papyrus, pulling back to look them in the face. "WHAT CAN I DO?"

Not even hesitating a second, Frisk said, "Talk to him. He needs to hang on until we fix everything. He can't give up. And if he can hear us even a little, you should talk to him. He needs you. He needs to know his cool brother is here. He needs to know he's not alone."

The determined look on their face as they spoke, each word firm and steady, made it clear that Frisk truly believed it. They were completely serious. Sans needed him.

Papyrus nodded before lifting the child from his lap and standing. Alphys and the others could handle the more scientific approach, but he could still help. If his brother needed hope and encouragement, then there was no one better for the job. If Sans' Soul was lost and lonely wherever it was, then he would remind him that neither of them were ever alone. He wouldn't give up on his older brother and he wouldn't let Sans give up either.

"He'll be okay," Frisk said in a quiet, yet firm voice. "I'll make it right. I promise."

* * *

How could a magically-constructed facsimile of his body end up out of breath and sore? Sans had no idea. He just knew he was gasping as he tried to deflect the dark attacks that flew at him.

Blocking was the best he could do. Every single bone he threw at the strange creature passed right through. Like the figure was made of smoke or a weird soft goop. His attacks barely even slowed the abomination down.

He couldn't stop moving. He could barely see the creature, the blackness blending in with the dark void. But Sans was terrified of letting himself be cornered. The glancing blows hadn't wiped out his HP instantly for some reason, but they hurt and he knew what the creature was trying to do.

"M _Y_ _**B**_ **od** Y. **r** _EP_ la **Ce**. S _O_ **ul** iN **W** _ **a**_ Y. R **E** **p** _l_ _a_ c _e_. **nE** W _B_ **o** DY. ES _c_ _A_ p **e**. **mi** _NE_."

" **it won't work** ," he said, throwing a few bones at the pale face that briefly appeared. They went right through again. " **you can't just... put your soul in my body. it can't work**."

It literally wouldn't work. It wasn't like replacing a piece of machinery with another. Even if his Soul was yanked out, his body couldn't support a different one. And trying would only lead to failure.

Failure and Sans' painful death. Breaking the thin connection that still remained between his body and Soul would leave his body as dust and his Soul shattering instantly. This creature couldn't just hijack it.

" **m** _ **U**_ _S_ t G **et** o _u_ T. _M_ _u_ S **T** **g** E _T_ O _u_ T. I _N_ **t** _H_ E w **a** Y!"

Sans barely summoned a handful of bones in time to block the thick wave of darkness from hitting him. He wasn't prepared when the insane creature immediately sent another burst of the black substance, breaking through his magical bones and hitting full on.

The impact hurt, knocking him flying back. His translucent body flickered before he regained his grip on it. His head felt like it was spinning as he tried to straighten up, a confused stray thought wondering why the hit didn't kill him.

Then Sans was hit again from a different direction. And again. And yet again, leaving him tumbling and spinning wildly.

He finally came to a stop, floating limply. Everything hurt. Did his fake body hurt or his Soul? Did it matter? Sans could barely think. And the ominous atmosphere seemed to be pressing down harder, choking and crushing him.

The thicker darkness was pulling closer, the creature reaching for him. Fear consumed his Soul as it held him in place, trying to pry its way through his magically-constructed body. He wanted to fight back, to try and escape...

...But he was tired, hurt, and couldn't think of a way out. He was trapped in this void anyway. It was too strong. He couldn't beat the insane creature.

At least he got a few happy months on the surface first. At least he escaped the Resets.

He didn't have the will to fight the inevitable. Sans just slumped limply and gave up, ready to let the insane creature go through with its useless plan.

Then he heard it, distant and muffled. A pleading and encouraging voice. A sound that he felt in his very Soul.

Papyrus.

More square screens appeared around him as his Soul brightened. He couldn't understand the words, but the voice was enough. The glowing images, the _memories_ of his brother forming in the void made the black shape pull back a little before smashing through them.

But even that brief moment of hesitation was enough. Hope reignited, Sans risked his shortcuts. He teleported out of the creature's grip, using its presence as a point of reference for the move. He wasn't going to let his brother down. If Papyrus was somewhere, pleading and encouraging him like always, Sans had to at least try not to die. He could try for a little longer.

" **i hear ya, bro** ," he said, summoning a pair of Gaster Blasters. " **just keep talkin' to me. don't leave me alone here. keep talkin'.** "

* * *

"I KNOW YOU'RE IN TROUBLE, SANS! I KNOW THIS IS HARD! BUT YOU HAVE TO LISTEN!"

Papyrus squeezed Sans' hand so tightly that his phalanges ached through his glove. The numbers on the screen had fallen while Undyne looked after him, ticking down steadily before making slightly larger drops. His HP now read as 0.763, fractional pieces of his life being chipped away. The alarms weren't any worse, but not any better either. Everything showed how bad the situation was.

But he wouldn't give up on Sans. He would never give up on his brother. He would do everything he could to make sure Sans knew that.

"I BELIEVE IN YOU! NO MATTER WHERE YOU ARE OR WHAT YOU ARE FACING, I BELIEVE IN YOU! YOU JUST NEED TO FIND A WAY BACK! I MISS YOU AND I WANT YOU TO GET BETTER SOONER RATHER THAN LATER! BECAUSE YOU _WILL_ GET BETTER!"

A quiet whimper came from his brother, a sound that Sans would never make if he was awake. Using his free hand, Papyrus stroked the side of Sans' skull in a comforting gesture. Another pained sound followed, partially muffled by the face mask.

Leaning a little closer, Papyrus said, "I KNOW IT'S HARD, BUT YOU CAN'T GIVE UP! THIS ISN'T LIKE FALLING ASLEEP ON SENTRY DUTY! O-OR WHEN YOU DIDN'T EVEN BOTHER TO RECALIBRATE YOUR PUZZLES! O-O-OR WHEN YOU WOULDN'T PICK UP YOUR SOCK! YOU HAVE TO TRY! YOU HAVE TO COME BACK, BROTHER!"

For a moment, Sans' strained expression looked a little easier. It didn't last long and it might have been his imagination, but Papyrus was going to be hopeful. He was going to take it as a sign his words were getting through to Sans.

"PLEASE DON'T GIVE UP! EVERYONE IS WORKING TOGETHER TO HELP YOU! YOU JUST NEED TO TRY TOO! NONE OF US WILL GIVE UP ON YOU! WE'LL GET YOUR SOUL BACK WHERE IT BELONGS! AND I WON'T LEAVE YOU UNTIL THAT HAPPENS!"

Papyrus squeezed his hand again, glancing back at the display. His HP was now at 0.760, meaning his brother nearly lost a fourth of it so far. Sans was hanging on though and it wasn't at the level Alphys told him to warn her about. So he kept going.

"I'M HERE, SANS! I'M HERE FOR YOU! IF I DON'T GIVE UP ON YOU, YOU AREN'T ALLOWED TO GIVE UP EITHER! OKAY? I WON'T LEAVE YOU ALONE. JUST... DON'T LEAVE ME EITHER, OKAY?"

He closed his eyes briefly. Stay positive. Sans needed to hear positive things.

"YOU'LL BE ALL RIGHT! I'LL BE HERE WHEN YOU WAKE UP! YOU JUST HAVE TO DO YOUR BEST TO GET BETTER UNTIL ALPHYS FINISHES HER SOLUTION! DO YOUR BEST AND TRY YOUR HARDEST! I BELIEVE IN YOU, SANS! I'VE ALWAYS BELIEVED IN YOU!"


	5. Recognizing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Backstory is fun. Don't you think it is fun learning about the past for these characters? Especially when it continues to mess with them in the present?
> 
> So yeah, expect a big flashback section for this chapter. But it should be a long chapter, which I'm sure that you'll enjoy.

Undyne wasn't certain what she expected when she let Papyrus take back his position watching over his brother and she headed up, but the scene she found certainly wasn't it.

Most of Alphys' personal belongings had long since been moved to the Surface, but there were still a pile of old reports, blueprints, and particularly embarrassing fanfiction sitting around the computer. The trio had apparently dove into the stacks and dragged out random sheets to scatter across the floor. Frisk's puzzled expression suggested that Undyne wasn't the only one who didn't understand the squiggles, but the other two were so distracted that they didn't seem to notice her approach.

The solution on how to get Flowey into a section of the lab he couldn't reach was what really caught her attention. Apparently Alphys' idea was to empty her wastebasket, scoop him up, and dump the weed inside. Considering what little Undyne remembered of his actions, the indignity of the situation was the least he deserved. But he seemed to accept his impromptu flowerpot with relative good grace. Flowey used his vines to manipulate the papers while Frisk carried the wastebasket around the room.

"No, that room needs to go to the farthest right corner. And then _this_ one is in the center," he snapped.

"B-but we can't. We're n-not supposed to use that configuration. Ever."

"Know why, nerd?"

"...N-no."

"You remember it being dangerous, but you can't remember the reason _why_ it's dangerous. This is the setup from the accident. You _have_ to do it. And we'll have to fix things in this room. Honestly, none of you wondered about the room with random fire or tried to fix it? Do you realize how noticeable that feature is, even if you can only sprout up near the ceiling?"

"R-right," mumbled Alphys. Then, smiling and holding up another blueprint in victory, she said, "Found it! Th-these should detail the wiring."

"Great. We'll need that to hook in the other machine. Speaking of which," Flowey said, twisting around in his container, "Frisk! Give the crazy lady your keys before she tries stabbing us again. She needs to pick up the machine in Snowdin for us."

Undyne narrowed her eye at the creepy flower. She didn't like him. She didn't like his attitude. She didn't like the fact he attacked them before. And she certainly didn't like how his presence seemed to affect Alphys, making her randomly regain that guilty look in her eyes.

But Frisk vouched for him. And she trusted the little punk. They had a good head on their shoulders. If Frisk said to go with Flowey's idea and instructions and Alphys seemed to think it would work, then Undyne would resist the urge to skewer the weed like a kabob.

And for Sans' sake and the sake of his brother, she would do anything necessary to save the smaller skeleton. Even work with the creep.

Frisk pulled a key off their phone and handed it over to her, a hopeful smile on their face. She gave them a short nod and ruffled their hair briefly. Then she turned and left.

The heat hit her almost like a physical force as soon as she stepped out of the air-conditioned lab. Undyne gritted her teeth against the oppressive baking sensation, the air too dry and warm for semi-aquatic monsters. Even without being weighed down by thick metal armor, the heat was very uncomfortable. Her scales were already itching.

She hated Hotland.

Trying to get out of there quickly and hoping that at least one particular monster chose to stay, Undyne turned left and headed for the river. Almost immediately her mood brightened. Resting against the shore as if waiting specifically for her was a boat. And standing there in their dark robes, their face concealed as always, was the Riverperson.

"Tra la la. In a hurry, I see. Care for a ride?"

Jumping on board, Undyne said, "Yeah, to Snowdin. And I'll be coming right back here with something important. Can you handle it?"

They gave a short nod and Undyne settled on her seat as the boat left the shore. The Riverperson was a strange and mysterious individual, but their boat was one of the quicker and more reliable ways to cross the Underground. It was certainly faster than running all the way through Waterfall with the machine she was grabbing. Though she certainly _could_ do that if necessary.

"Tra la la. Beware the man who speaks in hands. Cracked and healed. Broken and mended. Scattered and lost."

The Riverperson always spoke in riddles. Some of it was gibberish and nonsense. Most monsters considered hearing random comments as a fair price for the free ride. But occasionally their words contained wisdom. And today it made Undyne shiver for some reason.

They were silent for a little while, leaving the water as the only sound. Then, they began speaking again in a solemn tone.

"Memory is important. Only those who remember the past can escape it. Or change it. Or Save it. He'll need to remember if he ever wants to come back," continued the Riverperson. Then, in a far more cheerful and innocent voice, they added, "And _you_ should remember to feel free to stop by anytime. Tra la la."

Before Undyne could react, the boat slid up to the shore. She hadn't even noticed the drop in temperature. She'd been too distracted by the Riverperson. But now there was snow all around. She'd always wondered how the Riverperson always made the journey across the entire Underground so quickly.

"Thanks," she said, jumping to shore. "I'll be right back."

"I'll be waiting," said the Riverperson.

* * *

Not long after Undyne charged off and Alphys sent a quick text warning everyone to clear out of the Core as the rooms shifted into the new configuration, they decided they'd gathered enough materials to get started fixing the thing. Frisk loaded their phone and pockets with various tools, technical specs, and crudely-drawn alterations Flowey and Alphys managed to devise between the two of them. The two transdimensional boxes the nerd upgraded the phone with certainly proved useful. Anything they couldn't fit was carried by Alphys while Frisk took charge of Flowey.

Hanging out in a dirt-filled wastebasket was humiliating, but it was better than being left behind.

A quick dash to the elevators, a race through the MTT resort (staffed by a non-literal skeleton staff), and they were there. Granted, Alphys was panting and looked like she was about to collapse from the run. Being a nerd clearly didn't involve a lot of exercise. Though the fact she kept up with Frisk at all was a surprise. The kid could outrun Undyne occasionally.

"What's going on?" shouted a stout monster in a hard hat. There was a small crowd of them just outside the structure. "Why did you clear us out and rearrange the Core?"

Since Alphys was still gulping oxygen while hunched over, Flowey shouted back, "Because we're playing mad scientists and don't want to kill any of you while saving someone. This experiment doesn't have the best track record."

Frisk gave him a look. He gave a shrug of his stem. They really didn't have time to sugarcoat it or explain too much. None of them had a clue how long the smiley trashbag could last. Sans might be a pain in the roots to fight, but he wasn't exactly durable. Time couldn't be wasted on pleasant conversations and manners if they wanted to save the skeleton.

And despite everything, Flowey did want to save him. For Frisk. For Papyrus. And for that part of himself that still felt like Asriel.

"Up ahead. Sh-should be the right r-room," Alphys said, finally regaining her breath.

"The one with fire. From where things started overloading and reacting badly," confirmed Flowey. "We'll have to fix the circuits before wiring in the new stuff." He paused briefly before adding, "We should probably put out the fires too."

"Yeah, w-we probably should have done that a long t-time ago."

"Considering how bad messing with that stuff went last time, open flames might have been the safer option. But this time we know what we're doing. Mostly. So maybe we won't die."

"Your p-pep talks need work."

"If you want a pep talk, ask Frisk. They're better at the whole reassuring and being nice to people thing. I'm still relearning. But yeah... you're not dumb. You're the only one around here who has even a shot at this. Plus, you have thumbs." He held up a pair of vines to demonstrate. "Those are useful for fixing and building stuff."

* * *

The locked door around back of the empty house matched up with the key that Frisk gave her, leading down to a room Undyne never knew existed. It wasn't a large room and there didn't seem to be much in it. A counter ran along one wall, blueprints with strange writing on top. On the far side of the room was a large structure covered by a sheet. Only a little metal near the top poked out enough to see. She guessed it must be the famous machine.

Undyne didn't immediately grab the heavy chunk of metal and wires though. She tried to think like Alphys and figure out what might help. And the best idea she could come up with was to bring all the blueprints too. It might make it easier for her to do her nerd stuff. So she grabbed the ones on the counter and started yanking open drawers.

She found several more blueprints in a couple of drawers, which she tucked under her arm. Another held what appeared to be a badge with Sans' name on it. The thing had a magnetic strip, the sort of thing used to open certain locked doors when it was considered rude to kick them down. And the final drawer held a photo album.

She opened it before she realized what she was doing. She saw him appearing with a lot of people she didn't recognize. Some were clearly from when he was a kid, still in school. Though the other children appeared to be older than him. Other pictures showed monsters wearing lab coats. They were grown monsters, though Sans still looked younger than most of them. Perhaps a teenager? Yet another photo showed a tiny Sans with a pair of adult skeletons she didn't recognize but who showed similarities to both Sans and Papyrus. One wore a lab coat over a grey turtleneck while the other, her hand resting on Sans' head, wore a green dress. And tucked in the back of the photo album was a childish drawing showing three smiling people, the two taller ones dressed like the couple in the picture, and the words " **don't forget** " scrawled next to them.

Undyne closed the photo album, feeling mildly ashamed of herself for invading his privacy. What she looked at without permission... It was wrong of her. It was too personal.

Focusing on more important matters, Undyne stuffed all the blueprints under her arm before going for the machine. While heavy and awkwardly-shaped, she knew she would be able to carry it. The important thing was she needed to be careful. She couldn't break it. But as she tried to get a good grip, her phone started ringing.

"Kind of busy," she said as soon as she answered.

"I know. W-we already m-moved to the Core," said Alphys over the line. "So c-could you bring the m-machine there instead of my lab?"

Already dreading the idea of running through Hotlands while carrying all that heavy metal, Undyne said, "I can handle that. I'll bring it over as fast as possible."

"Thanks," said Alphys. Undyne could hear Flowey shouting at her in the background, asking her to help rewire a few circuits so they didn't burn out again. "G-gotta go."

"Be there soon, babe."

Undyne heard a squeak of embarrassment as she hung up. Alphys always reacted like that. She could already imagine her girlfriend turning bright red in response. The mental image made Undyne smile as she lifted the large curtain-enshrouded machine.

While big and bulky, she didn't have much trouble carrying it out the door with a little maneuvering. Undyne was a lean and strong monster who suplexed boulders for fun. This was nothing.

She couldn't see the Riverperson's face, but the way they stiffened at her arrival suggested they shared Undyne's mild concerns about whether the boat could support the weight of the machine. But even though it rocked sharply when she jumped in with the burden in her arms and it finally settled a lot lower in the water than before, the boat didn't capsize. So the Riverperson gave a short nod and pushed off.

"Tra la la. Jumping into darker darkness without first looking isn't always smart, but sometimes it helps. How else do you pull others back into the light?"

"You're being extra mysterious today," said Undyne, trying to keep her balance with a metal structure larger than herself in her arms. "Any reason?"

"Several souls shining in the dark and broken pieces pulling together after so long shattered. It's a day of great potential change, for good or ill. Why would I not be interested in what is happening, tra la la?"

* * *

Gaster Blasters cost far more magic than his bone attacks, but they at least burned away chunks of the amorphous dark creature. The damage vanished fairly quickly as it reformed, but it still slowed the abomination down and gave him some breathing room. And whenever it managed to get too close, Sans could take a small "shortcut" to slip just out of reach.

His enemy was powerful and vast, extending all around him in the empty void. But even if the creature seemed to be everywhere and unbeatable, Sans refused to surrender. His brother's voice still murmured from far away. Sans latched on to that sound with all his strength. Just like in the past, Papyrus gave him hope and kept him going even when he felt like giving up. He wasn't alone. He just needed to keep fighting back and listening to his brother's constant voice. He could do this.

Another streak of dark matter flashed towards him, forcing Sans to twist out of the way. Maneuvering without gravity or the ground was getting easier with practice. But he couldn't relax because the creature kept striking from every direction, sending long black shapes flying at him.

As one attack nearly took off his head, Sans noticed something shocking. The dark and amorphous state made it difficult for him to see it earlier, but he managed to recognize the shape finally. The creature was throwing bone attacks made of the weird black substance at him.

Was it trying to mimic his attacks... or was it creating bones because that was its natural form of magic?

The pale, cracked, and distorted face reformed directly in front of him. Sans flailed backwards a little, regaining some distance. Then two more pale shapes appeared in the darkness, one on each side of the face and a little lower. He summoned another pair of Gaster Blasters to deal with the new targets.

Then he identified the new shapes.

Hands. Two hands with holes in the palms.

Recognition, realization, shock, and memory paralyzed and overwhelmed Sans. The fight for his life and Soul vanished from his awareness. He was lost in the past.

* * *

Sans scurried deeper into the Core, chasing after the glimpses of an orange-and-red striped sweater. For a toddler who just learned how to walk a few months ago, Papyrus was far too fast and energetic. Or at least too fast and energetic for his older brother to keep up when Papyrus felt like running. They were supposed to stay at the new apartment building built at the edge of the Core meant to house the workers and scientists, but Papyrus decided that he wanted to leave the daycare and Sans ended up chasing after him when the adults supervising them didn't notice.

" **papyrus, come back** ," he called, scrambling along the blue floor of the structure. " **we're not supposed to be here alone**."

The only response was cheerful laughter, the toddler clearly thinking it was a game of tag or something. Sans was left with no choice but to follow.

The next room wasn't as empty as the others so far. A small crowd of monsters in white lab coats were gathered around making last minute adjustments to the equipment. Some were messing with the control systems in the walls while a smaller monster was climbing out of an open panel in the floor, clearly having just finished working on the machinery below. But none of them seemed to notice a small skeleton in a blue-and-green striped sweater or the tiny toddler hiding in the crowd. They were mostly focused on the taller monster at the far end of the room.

He was another skeleton, tall and wearing a grey turtleneck under his white lab coat. While his back was currently to Sans, he knew there were twin cracks near his eye sockets from an old injury that did nothing to dim his bright eye-lights. And when he was excited about something, his hands would fly around in wild gestures and his accent would grow strong enough that some monsters could barely understand it.

Dr. W. D. Gaster was a brilliant man, the Royal Scientist, and Sans and Papyrus' father. And right now, he was someone Sans really didn't want to catch the attention of. They weren't supposed to be there.

As Sans crept around trying to spot his brother, Gaster said, " _Congratulations, everyone. With these modifications, we shall be able to rearrange the configuration of the Core in order to control how much power it produces and where it is directed. As our situation develops over time, we must be able to adapt to those changing needs. And it will make it easier to redirect enough power for other experiments without risking blackouts to the rest of the Underground_."

Sans slipped around the various scientists. He didn't want to get in trouble with their father for coming into the Core on their own. He just wanted to find Papyrus and sneak him back out before anyone noticed.

" _Now, our designs are conceptually sound and the simulations have been promising,_ " he continued. " _But until we finish our first full test run of the system, we won't be able to definitively call the modular design a success. Dr. Nemean, how do the readings look?_ "

"Dr. Gaster, we've got what we need. All systems look ready to proceed," said the tall, long-limbed feline monster next to a control panel.

" _And your final inspection below, Dr. Ficeae_?"

The smaller humanoid monster with a large head and huge eyes stepped forward and said, "I double-checked all the machinery down there. Everything is in good condition and should operate perfectly. Honestly, you could probably try smashing it with a wrench and it wouldn't slow it down. We built it sturdy."

" _Let's avoid doing that to our hard work just yet_ ," Gaster said with a chuckle. " _We spent too long trying to make these rooms move and rearrange themselves for us to try breaking it on purpose. And Dr. Vini?_ "

The large monster that was mostly head and neck with tiny limbs close to his body to the point they were easy to miss nodded and said, "All unnecessary personnel have been warned and asked to leave for safety reasons. Not that there should be any danger as long as no one tries to move between room while everything is shifting. But it is better to take all precautions for this first attempt. The only people in the Core are in this room."

Ducking around another tall scientist, Sans finally caught a glimpse of orange. He relaxed slightly as he tried to hurry towards his brother. Papyrus was peering into the open panel in the floor, staring at the machinery below with a look of fascination. He looked at it the same way he did the small puzzles at home, trying to solve it. Even if Sans didn't understand how all of it worked yet, he could appreciate how interesting all the pistons, gears, servos, crankshafts, and connecting rods woven together high above the molten rock could be. But now was definitely not the time for sightseeing.

" **come on, bro** ," hissed Sans, edging towards Papyrus.

As his brother glanced up with a cheerful grin, Gaster said, " _Very well then. We have the new configuration selected, correct? Begin the process._ "

Just as Sans reached his brother, the floor shook sharply as the machinery shuddered into motion. Sans nearly stumbled off his feet, but the tiny toddler was too close to the open panel. Papyrus only managed a look of confusion as he lost his balance.

" _ **papyrus**_ ," called Sans, instinctively diving for him without hesitation or thought.

His hand grabbed onto the brightly-colored fabric, but it was too late to stop the inevitable. Both young skeletons fell over the edge towards the machinery below. All Sans managed to do was pull Papyrus close and try to take the brunt of the impact himself.

Even with the protection of his thick sweater, he clipped his body a few times before slamming his back on a flatter piece of metal hard enough to make him yelp in pain and bring tears to his eye sockets. Without anyone responsible for the impact, there was no harmful intent to make the damage worse. But he could tell it took off half his single HP. He was always painfully aware of even that fractional level of loss. He tried to catch his breath while Papyrus wailed in his arms: surprised and afraid from the fall, though unharmed.

At least they didn't fall all the way through to the magma below. He wasn't certain if there was much below to prevent that.

He looked up, vaguely noticing that the opening was pretty high. Too high for someone to just reach down and pull them out. Then Sans realized he could feel vibrations still, the various pieces of equipment starting to move all around them. Including the surface they landed on. All the pistons, gears, servos, crankshafts, and connecting rods were operating now and quickly picking up speed. And the two of them were trapped in the middle of all that moving metal, a fact that made his Soul flare in terror.

Sans dodged as another piece of machinery started moving, nearly clipping his arm. Unfortunately, it put him in the path of turning gears. Avoiding being crushed forced him to nearly get caught under the spinning parts of a crankshaft. He had to keep moving as everything kept picking up speed. The only good thing was that Papyrus clung to him desperately, making it easier to carry his brother while still allowing Sans to use his hands to move.

Over the loud noises of the machinery, Sans could hear panicked shouts. He thought he could even make out his and his brother's names. At least someone noticed the danger. Sans didn't have a spare moment to call for help. It was taking all his energy to keep himself and his little brother moving through the deadly maze.

" _Shut it down! Shut it down now!_ "

"I'm trying! It's refusing to stop in mid-shift!"

" _Figure it out! We have to get them out of there!_ "

While rolling out of the way of the servos that nearly broke his ribs, Sans caught a glimpse of the opening above again. Gaster was up there, too high to reach them. He looked like he would give anything to have Mom's Blue magic to yank them up by their Souls. But then Sans was knocked back by a connecting rod shifting forward and he lost sight of their father.

Papyrus kept crying and shaking in his grip as Sans tried to recover while still dodging further hits. There were too many moving parts and not enough space. He could barely keep up enough to avoid having their skulls crushed.

Magically-summoned bones started forming, trying to jam the gears and the pistons to stop the machinery. But they shattered before fully manifesting, the pressure too much. But Gaster kept trying to help. Sans could see it. He kept trying to jam or break something before it was too late. But it just wasn't working.

Sans tried to duck under another connecting arm, but felt something snag and yank him backwards. Panicking as he tried to get loose, he realized that his sweater was caught on a piece of moving metal and dragging him deeper into the machinery. Sans tried to tear himself free, terrified. He saw that it was pulling him into the path of a pair of large gears, leaving no gap. They were going to die. They were going to be crushed.

The shouting above grew louder, but Sans could barely hear it over his terror. Papyrus wouldn't let go, so he couldn't even stop his brother from being dragged towards the threat too. Sans couldn't move out of the way or rip the sweater off.

Panic and desperation gripping his Soul, he reacted without thought and cried out, " _ **dad!**_ "

But he already knew it was too late. No one could save them. All he could do was curl around his toddler brother a little and try to shield Papyrus with his body, unable to protect him further.

" _Aaarrhh!_ "

The scream of agony, the squeal of straining metal, and jerking halt to motion made Sans open his eye sockets again. The cogs of the gears were right next to him, seconds from closing together and crushing them to death. But even though he could hear the squeals and screech of the machinery trying to continue, everything had stopped moving. And Papyrus was all right. His little brother wasn't hurt.

Sans still couldn't rip himself free or even wiggle out of his caught sweater, but he managed to turn his head a little. At first, he saw nothing beyond the stilled machinery. Then he caught sight of something above them and horror hit hard.

Gaster had leaned through the open panel as far as possible to the point he'd nearly fallen through himself. And while he couldn't reach his sons, he could reach the mechanisms. And to stop all the machinery threatening Sans and Papyrus, he'd jammed his hands into the only part of the equipment he could.

His arms were shaking with the effort to halt the machine from continuing. His eyes sockets were dark and his skull coated in sweat, the intense pain clear. His breathing was ragged pants. And his hands... Even at his angle, Sans could see the metal cracking bone.

Sans felt Papyrus still shaking in his arms. He might have been shaking too. He couldn't look away from Gaster and his hands. His mind refused to accept it even as he heard horrified shouts of the Royal Scientist's name from everyone up there. This couldn't be real.

The machinery ticked forward slightly, tugging Sans closer. Gaster produced a pained noise somewhere between a gasp and a whimper as the metal crushed his hands further.

The bone attacks couldn't withstand the pressure, even if they barely had a chance to form. How long could the bones in his hands hold up? How much damage was it causing? How bad?

Again, the machinery inched forward a little more. The young skeletons came closer to the point where the two gears met while another cry of pain came from their father. Frantic shouts still came from overhead and the whine of straining metal filled the air. The danger had not been stopped, only slowed.

Another, bigger jerk forward and the cogs of the gears started pressing into his body slightly while Gaster screamed again. Sans couldn't even move his arms now. The next time the machinery moved even slightly, it would kill him and Papyrus.

He couldn't breathe. Sans tried, the pressure of the gears not enough to be the cause. But he couldn't seem to get enough air. He felt himself breathing fast, far too quick and shallow to be comfortable. And he couldn't slow his breathing down. It was like he lost control of his body from panic.

Then the vibrations underneath them grew still and the straining machinery grew quiet. The systems were finally shut down. Sans slumped as much as he could, his body surrendering completely now that the threat had passed. All he could do was lie there uselessly as Papyrus sobbed into the sweater, unable to scrounge up words of comfort for his little brother.

He saw Gaster go limp the moment he no longer needed to strain against the machinery. He nearly fell the rest of the way through the open panel, but Dr. Nemean managed to wrap his long arms around the skeleton's body and caught him in time. For a moment, Sans thought Gaster passed out. Then Gaster managed to raise his head slightly, looking towards his trapped children with his dark eye sockets. He stared at them for a moment, apparently reassuring himself that they were alive, before letting his head drop again.

"Dr. Gaster, try not to move at all," said Dr. Nemean gently. Then, louder, he shouted, "Someone find us a healer we can call."

"We already sent for one," Dr. Vini assured. "What about the kids? Do you see them?"

Peering down into the dark space below the floor, Dr. Nemean said, "The young skeletons must have amazing luck. They appear not to be hurt and merely stuck."

Sans finally managed to get his panicked and erratic breathing back under control. But his face was wet and he couldn't even get his arm loose to wipe away the tears he didn't remember shedding. At least Papyrus seemed to be calming down a little. He was still crying into his brother's sweater, but his sobs had slowed.

"Okay, I'm going to climb down there and try to get them out," said Dr. Ficeae. "I'll try to be careful as I slip by, Dr. Gaster, but I apologize now if I jostle you."

"Can't you get him out first?" asked another scientist, her voice less familiar to Sans.

"Getting him free without further harm will be quite a fight," Dr. Nemean said, still supporting Gaster's weight. "He managed to jam his hands in rather tight."

Sans saw Dr. Ficeae trying to squeeze past the other monsters with extreme care. But even the slightest movement left Gaster gasping in agony, his crushed hands pinned in place and keeping him trapped. Dr. Nemean did his best to keep him steady though. And with minimal suffering, Dr. Ficeae made it past them and started climbing down to the children.

"Hey, remember me?" he called gently, his tone clearly intended to try and calm them. "Dr. Ficeae? I come over to your dad's lab sometimes?"

Sans managed to nod stiffly. He felt Papyrus stirring, but he tightened his grip on the toddler. His little brother didn't need to see their father in his current state. Sans didn't want to see it either.

"I'm so sorry," he continued. "I should have shut that panel after checking everything. I just left it open in case something went wrong during the test and I had to go down and fix it. That was lazy of me and you could have been killed. I'm so sorry. This is all my fault."

It wasn't the scientist's fault. He did his job. Sans was the one who failed. He was the one who was supposed to watch out for Papyrus. None of this would have happened if Sans took care of his brother like he was supposed to. He should have done better.

The monster finally reached the trapped pair. He carefully started pulling at Sans' sweater, trying to pry it out of the machinery. Slowly and surely, Sans heard the sounds of ripping fabric and felt something give way. Dr. Ficeae tugged them gradually free.

* * *

Dr. Lena showed up very quickly, racing down from New Home with her bag and even finding her way through the mid-rearrangement version of the Core. Sans and Papyrus barely made it back up and were shuffled to a corner before she arrived. And once she appeared on the scene, Dr. Lena took change and ordered a pair of traumatized assistants to fetch a couple of chairs. She then started examining the two young skeletons while the other scientists worked on extracting Gaster from the machinery.

While a thin monster with a sharp and angular face, Dr. Lena seemed to be a sweet-natured healer. Her four arms were gentle as she looked over Papyrus, the toddler physically and emotionally exhausted by the entire stressful event. Even though Sans managed to hide his face enough to keep him from seeing Gaster's current state, Papyrus was having a bad day. But he barely seemed to be scratched, even a toddler having more HP than Sans. And the faintest touch of healing magic just to be sure left Papyrus nodding off in his brother's arms.

Then she turned her green crystalline eyes towards the older child. And while Sans disliked the familiar look of shocked pity on her triangular face as yet another healer discovered his HP, she kept quiet about it and kept her prodding to a minimal. Her magic eased the pain from the fall and pulled his HP back up to his normal level. And the entire time she checked over the young skeletons, she did her best to keep him distracted from the quiet sounds of pain and screeches of someone forcing the machinery backwards.

"You've both been very good boys for me," she said to the young skeletons curled on the floor, Papyrus sleeping in his brother's lap quite comfortably. "I know today's been rather scary. I just need you to be patient a little longer while I take care of your father."

"Here are those chairs you wanted," said a green-scaled monster, running over with the requested seats. "I've got to go help Dr. Vini now, but yell if you need anything else."

"Thank you," she said, setting her bag next to one of the chairs.

A final pained gasp, tinged with slight relief, made Sans snap his head around. The small crowd of worried scientists gathered around the open panel stirred with excitement and worry. After a few moments, two figures separated from them.

Dr. Nemean walked beside Gaster with his long arms wrapped around the skeleton, bearing most of his weight as they approached. He'd also pulled off his lab coat to wrap around Gaster's hands protectively, Dr. Nemean supporting and keeping the injuries still. Gaster barely seemed conscious, his eye-lights dim and unfocused while his breathing remained shaky. Agony dominated his features and his movements were uncoordinated. Everything he saw made Sans' guilt claw at him worse.

"Easy now, my friend," said Dr. Lena, adding her four arms to assist Dr. Nemean with the patient. "Let's get you seated before you collapse."

Slowly and carefully, they eased Gaster into a chair. And once he was sitting and his wobbling had settled, Dr. Lena took her own seat in front of him so that she could face her patient. Two of her hands reached for Gaster's wrapped injuries that she eased onto his lap while the others went to his chest and left shoulder. He shuddered at the contact.

"I know it hurts," said Dr. Lena soothingly. "I know. I can handle some of the worst of your pain, but I need to look at the damage before trying to heal you properly. They made it sound fairly serious. So I'm going to ease as much of your pain as possible right now and start unwrapping your hands, all right?"

His dim eye-lights glanced at her before shifting around finally landing on Sans and Papyrus. Gaster's gaze managed to focus briefly, losing some of the fogginess brought on by pain.

"Your sons are fine," assured Dr. Lena. "I already checked them over. We need to focus on you right now. I'm about to get started. Understand?"

This time he managed a small nod. With that acknowledgement, Dr. Lena's hands on his shoulder and chest began glowing a soft green. Gaster breathed a sigh of relief as it sank into him and some of the tension left his body. Dr. Nemean eased his grip, his support no longer necessary for the skeleton to stay upright.

"Better?" she asked.

" _A little_ ," said Gaster, sounding exhausted. " _Thank you_."

Dr. Lena said, "Let me take care of your hands and then you can thank me. It'll hurt no matter what I do, but this should be easier on you while I look at the damage."

Sans watched silently as she reached over with her free hand and slowly started unwrapping the improvised bindings. But while Gaster flinched and gasped as she worked, he clearly didn't feel as much pain as before. He didn't look like he was on the brink of passing out and he was obviously aware of his surroundings again.

"There we are," she said as she pulled the last layer of fabric. "Let's see... _Oh my_."

Her expression morphed into shock and worry. Dr. Nemean dropped his gaze to the floor. Gaster stared dully at the sight, resigned and accepting of what he saw. And Sans looked on in horror, thankful that Papyrus was asleep and not witnessing this.

What she'd unwrapped weren't hands. Not anymore. Splinters of bones, jagged fragments, and marrow lay exposed on the lab coat with his magic flicker weakly as it tried to hold what was left together. A few phalanges might be identifiable, but the metacarpals were crushed beyond all recognition. The carpals were broken into chunks and Sans could even spot a few cracks near the end of the radial bones and chips in one of his ulna. His hands were completely mangled by the machinery until nothing remained intact from the wrists down.

"I gathered what pieces I could find," said Dr. Nemean solemnly. "But saying there's not much left would be kind."

Dr. Lena managed to compose herself a little, schooling her expression into something calmer and reassuring. She carefully pulled his gaze back up and met his eye sockets.

"I have to be honest with you. This is pretty bad," she said. "I've treated a few skeletons in New Home, but none with injuries this severe."

" _So there's no hope_ ," said Gaster without much regret and with complete acceptance of the loss, something that made Sans squirm.

"I didn't say that. It won't be easy. There's a lot of joints and moving parts to fix. But I might be able to salvage your hands. At least enough that you can use them again," she said gently. "I need you to keep still while I work. It'll hurt, but I'll try to keep that to a minimum. Are you ready?"

He nodded stiffly and Dr. Lena used her free hands to start arranging the fragments, trying to get them lined back up again. She kept two hands sending more of her green magic to diminish the pain while the other two produced more concentrated doses into the cracks at the ends of his arms before she could start addressing the jigsaw-like hands. Occasionally Gaster flinched or gasped when the pain exceeded what she could block.

"Dr. Nemean, we could use your help," called Dr. Ficeae. "Can they spare you?"

When the feline monster glanced towards him questioningly, Gaster said, " _I'll be all right. See if you can help them fix things._ "

Dr. Nemean gave him a final look of concern before stepping away. Gaster let his eye sockets slip closed and Dr. Lena worked in silence for several moments. And the entire time, the guilt kept eating away at Sans.

The silence must have lasted too long because Gaster eventually glanced towards his children again and asked, " _Sans, are you certain you're all right? I tried to get both of you out as quickly as I could, but I should have been fa-_ "

" **i'm sorry** ," Sans said, unable to hold back any longer. " **it's my fault. i was supposed to watch out for papyrus and he got away from me.** " He dropped his gaze to the floor and tried to stop talking, but everything kept falling out in a tangled mess. " **and i tried to find him and take him back, but there were too many people and they were too tall for me to see him. then i** _ **did**_ **find him, but i messed up again and couldn't even catch him properly so he didn't fall in. and... and he could have** _ **died**_ **and now you're hurt and it's all my fault 'cause i can't even do one stupid thing right. i'm sorry. i ruined everything 'cause i'm a useless failure and-** "

"Sit _down_ , Dr. Gaster," snapped Dr. Lena, interrupting Sans' uncontrolled flood of words and making him snap his head up.

The healer was now devoting two of her arms to trying to force Gaster to remain in his seat, his pain and exhaustion temporarily forgotten as he clearly tried to reach his children. But while he might normally be the stronger monster, the day's events had sapped his strength enough that Dr. Lena won out and kept him in place. He finally slumped back into his chair in surrender, but he at least seemed satisfied to have his son's attention.

" _Sans, you are_ _ **not**_ _a failure. While I do want and appreciate your help taking care of Papyrus, it isn't solely your responsibility. You're only seven_ ," Gaster said slowly.

" **seven and a half** ," corrected Sans quietly, even fractional amounts very important to him.

" _If you actually recall from this morning, I entrusted the two of you with the monsters at the daycare._ _ **They**_ _were the ones who should have ensured neither of you left the building. It wasn't your fault. And watching over an energetic toddler is a difficult challenge for two adults, let alone a child. But then you've always done a remarkable job meeting that challenge. I don't blame you for this accident. You did nothing wrong. It was simple bad luck and nothing more. I'm just relieved you're both all right._ " His eye sockets closed and a broken expression overtook his face, his words growing heavy. " _For a moment, I thought... I caught sight of you just as you fell... And I thought that..._ "

He shuddered, though Sans couldn't tell if it was from the thought of what could have happened or from a spike in pain as Dr. Lena moved to the more challenging part of the injuries.

" **you still got hurt 'cause of us. 'cause of me...** "

Everything in Gaster's posture and his face declared his desire to reach out to his child, to hold and hug him close. But he restrained himself and stayed in place to let Dr. Lena continue her work. From the way she focused on the broken fragments of bones that her magic was slowly knitting together, the healer wasn't listening to their conversation anyway. All she cared about was fixing the damage.

" _Sans, I would make the exact same decision a thousand times if that's what it took to keep you and your brother safe_ ," he said firmly. " _My work. My hands. My life and Soul. I would sacrifice them without hesitation. There is nothing in the world worth more to me than the two of you._ "

" **nothing, huh? not even mom?** "

He shouldn't have said that. He regretted the words even as they tumbled out, making his father stiffen. It was cruel. He just couldn't seem to control his mouth, too worn out to think before he spoke.

Sans knew the stories of how the pair met, of how unlikely everyone considered the relationship early on. The brilliant Royal Scientist and Boss Monster, Dr. W. D. Gaster, falling for the short and delicate skeleton with a talent for puzzles. There were other monsters and even other skeletons who seemed better suited for him, better educated and interested in physics or technology or other scientific branches. But he listened to Corbel discuss her thoughts on how some of the older puzzles around the Underground could be improved and she listened to him talk about how he planned for the Core to produce energy for everyone. He adored her almost instantly.

They fit together perfect, despite their differences. They had far more in common than people realized. Whether it was an engineering challenge to overcome on his projects or a particularly tough puzzle, they both loved problem solving and working out solutions. And everyone realized that he loved her, fully and completely.

They were married and started a family together, ensuring that he could grow old alongside the woman he loved. Over time, most of the puzzles in Hotland were either updated or completely designed by Corbel and the Core was gradually expanded and improved. They were happy and had a perfect life together.

But nothing perfect lasts forever.

It took him a few moments to gather himself together again, but Gaster eventually said, " _Corbel was a wonderful woman. Kind, smart, gentle, and stubborn at times. And even though she was never the most powerful monster, I have no doubts that she would kill me if I even considered choosing her over the two of you. I'll always miss her, but this is the outcome she would have wanted. She loved both of you. More than you can possibly imagine._ "

" **she barely even got to know papyrus** ," he said, glancing down at the sleeping toddler.

While her pregnancy with Sans nearly went very badly for him, her pregnancy with Papyrus went far more smoothly on the surface. They kept a close eye on the developing Soul to ensure he was born healthy and there were no close calls for the baby. The only hint that something was wrong was how tired Corbel seemed that last week, though she tried to downplay and hide it. Sans remembered when he was brought in to meet his baby brother, Papyrus giggling in her arms while she wore an exhausted smile. But she was never the strongest monster, her HP more suited for a Froggit than a skeleton, and delivering a healthy child wasn't exactly easy. Eventually she handed over the infant and lost consciousness. Not falling asleep, but Falling Down. And despite desperate hopes, the beloved wife and mother was dust a few days later.

He missed her. He still missed his mom. They all did.

" _Sans, do you honestly believe that anyone could know Papyrus for more than a moment without falling in love with him?_ "

When he put it like that, how could Sans argue?

Still, sometimes Sans wondered if his father wished things went differently. Not that Papyrus was never born. The world needed the bright and wonderful young skeleton. But maybe if Papyrus was born first, they wouldn't have wanted a second child and she would have lived. And then none of this bad stuff would have happened. They could have been happy.

Maybe Gaster meant what he said. Maybe he didn't consider it, but Sans did. Watching his father's hands being slowly cobbled back together again after he destroyed them for the sake of his children, Sans considered it.

"There's not much left of your metacarpals," said Dr. Lena finally, sounding a little strained. "It looks like they were damaged the worst by the machinery. I have an idea of how to at least fix your hands enough to reattach your phalanges so you can use them, but it won't be pretty. Are you all right with that?"

" _It's fine. You're the healer_ ," he said, some of his exhaustion creeping back into his voice now that he wasn't trying to comfort and reassure his son. " _I trust your judgment on your expertise._ "

"All right. This part will be trickier. Just hang on a little longer for me and then you can rest."

Sans carefully scooched closer to Gaster, trying his best not to wake Papyrus. He ended up leaning against the chair, fighting to keep his eye sockets open. As much as he didn't want to admit it, Sans was tired. _Bone_ tired. At that point, it was a race to see if he or Gaster would nod off first. The only thing that might give the younger skeleton a slight advantage was the pain that still made Gaster flinch and hiss occasionally when he wasn't distracted by conversation.

" _Maybe_ ," said Gaster slowly, pulling Sans slightly awake again, " _we should consider buying a house. The loft above my lab isn't very large and Papyrus is far more rambunctious than you were. He deserves somewhere with space to run around. Somewhere safer than Hotland._ "

" **longer walk for your job** ," he mumbled.

" _The Riverperson stops near the lab anyway. I can handle the commute._ "

" **i'll have to switch schools.** "

" _Your teachers want to move you up another grade or so anyway._ "

He shrugged and said, " **if that's what you want, i guess i don't mind.** "

" _We'll start looking at some possibilities then. I believe I can spare a couple days for that. I doubt anyone will let me return to work immediately_."

"If you do anything other than rest or if you try to return to work before I or your regular healer gives you permission, I will be very upset with you," said Dr. Lena. "I'm investing far too much time and magic into healing you to just let you do something foolish."

" _Remember, Sans_ ," Gaster said, some of the exhaustion and pain in his voice replaced by amusement, " _never anger a healer. You'll always regret it_."

His quiet chuckles were punctuated by a couple flinches, but Gaster definitely seemed to be doing better. Either there was less pain over all or Dr. Lena had poured in enough of her healing magic that he couldn't feel it as much anymore. Either option was good in Sans' opinion.

He didn't realize he'd drifted off until a deep and rumbling voice made Sans stir.

"I heard there was an accident at the Core and came down here as soon as I was able. Will Dr. Gaster be all right?"

"He'll live, Your Majesty. Even before I started treatment, his high HP ensured that," said Dr. Lena, her voice quieter and more subdue than before. "He's just exhausted. The injuries and the healing itself put a lot of stress on his body and he needs rest. I'm not surprised he finally gave out."

Sans' eye sockets opened and he saw Gaster sleeping in his chair, Dr. Nemean clearly having returned since he was supporting the worn-out skeleton again. Dr. Lena was just finishing wrapping his hands in thick layers of gauze that still glowed a faint green. His parent looked like he was wearing oven mitts now.

Then he noticed the new monster looking at Gaster with concern and worry. He was taller than most monsters Sans had seen. And fluffy. There was no better description for his creamy fur than "fluffy." He wore a beard and had a pair of horns on his head. And he was dressed in a purple cape and crown. If Dr. Lena hadn't already mentioned it, Sans would still be able to figure out this was the King of the Monsters.

"But he _will_ be all right?" he asked, asking for confirmation.

Sighing tiredly, Dr. Lena returned the extra gauze to her bag and summoned forth Gaster's Soul. The glowing shape hung there briefly, the distinctive silver sheen of a Boss Monster easy to see, before she let it slip back where it belonged.

"A little dimmer than I would like, but acceptable after today's trauma," said Dr. Lena calmly. "He's in no danger of Falling Down or dying from his injuries. As for his hands, I've done what I can. Only time will tell if they'll work properly again."

"I see. And the details of the accident were scarce," he said. "Did something go wrong with the new alterations to the Core?"

"No, his children were in danger down there, you see?" said Dr. Nemean, gesturing vaguely towards the smaller skeletons without looking. "So he saved them the only way he could, Your Majesty."

Sans, realizing they probably assumed he was still asleep, quickly closed his eye sockets again. It didn't take a genius to realize they wouldn't say all of this in front of the children if they knew he could hear them.

"He did what any father would then," he said. There was something impossibly sad in the king's voice now. "He protected his children from harm, no matter the cost. If only we could all accomplish so much."

Even without looking, Sans knew grief when he heard it. The king tried to hide and control it, but it clearly there. Grief clung to the monster's words just as it seemed to choke and smother Gaster immediately after he lost Corbel.

"Well, Your Majesty, you may have to go without the help of your Royal Scientist for a short while," said Dr. Lena. "What healing I've done is still fragile and easily re-broken. He needs rest and time before he tries using his hands again."

"But of course. He should take all the time he needs to recover," he said.

"I think letting me take him home to his lab would be best. Dr. Gaster should get comfortable and start getting that needed rest."

Sans heard a tired groan and a slight scraping sound from the chair, telling him that Dr. Nemean was helping Gaster to his feet.

"... _Your Majesty?_ " Gaster mumbled groggily.

"It's all right, my friend. Go home and rest."

" _Mm-hm_ ," he murmured.

Large furry arms wrapped around Sans and Papyrus suddenly, the unexpected action almost making the older skeleton react and ruin his sleeping act. He felt himself and his brother being lifted and cradled against a broad chest. The king apparently intended to carry the two of them.

Well, if it meant he didn't have to walk all the way home, he wasn't going to complain.

* * *

"Let's see how they're healing up," said Dr. Byer, an older lizard healer who specialized in treating skeletons, reptilian, and avian monsters. "And don't worry. Dr. Lena informed me about the incident and her treatment, so I should be able to address any issues that might have developed since then."

Dr. Byer was the healer that they generally went to for checkups (though Sans saw him far too often for his liking), so it wasn't unusual for the entire family to be packed into one of his exam rooms. He tended to keep a few small puzzles and books for the children patients he dealt with, so Papyrus seemed to like visiting him. Sans still hated how much he continued to poke and prod him on every visit, as if he would spontaneously gain several dozen HP without warning.

Sans watched as Gaster extended his wrapped hands towards the healer. For the past week, he'd been forced to take things easy and let his children handle everything around their home. Papyrus really got into it, following their father around and shouting "NO" whenever it looked like he was about to use his hands. Sans knew the restrictions must have really started chaffing after a while, but they managed.

" _The pain is almost gone by now._ "

"That's good. She always was an excellent healer," said Dr. Byer, slowly unwrapping the gauze. "Now, she mentioned that she needed to be creative in repairing the metacarpals and... oh. I see."

Sans tried to stretch a little taller and see what they were looking at from across the exam room. While the metacarpals were supposed to be long and skinny bones, giving the impression that their fingers attached directly to their wrists, there wasn't enough intact for that. Instead, Dr. Lena used the tiny fragments to craft a "palm" for the phalanges to connect to. All the slivers and splinters of bone were fused together until they formed the outline of something other monsters would call a hand.

But it was only an outline. The lack of pieces meant she couldn't create a solid shape. The result was a pair of large holes in the center of his palms.

"Certainly a unique solution to the problem," said Dr. Byer, turning the repaired hands carefully as he examined them. "Almost no pain, you said? That's good. We'll need to test your sensitivity and see if your sense of touch has suffered any from your injuries. But the most important test is if you can use your hands. Try moving your fingers, please."

For a moment, nothing happened. Then, right when Sans felt a tendril of fear for his father creeping up his spine, the fingers twitched. With slow and stiff movements, he managed to close one hand and then the other. A relieved smile appeared on Gaster's face while Sans released a breath he barely noticed he'd been holding.

" _A bit different than before_ ," he said, staring at the holes in his hands, " _but I can adapt_."

* * *

Sans stared at the distorted pale face, the white hands with holes through the palms, and the roiling dark mass, trying to make sense of it. He'd hoped for a while after he vanished, clinging to a childish and unlikely hope that he could save him somehow if he fixed the machine in the basement. But Sans eventually accepted the fact that his father was almost certainly dead and stopped wasting his time on the impossible.

But he wasn't. He wasn't dead. Sans couldn't quite comprehend it.

Glowing white squares had materialized around him, each displaying the older skeleton at different points in Sans' memories. They'd encircled him while his mind was trapped in the past. Then, with no warning, a few static-filled screens appeared closer to the strange creature. His memories of himself. The insane and amorphous creature wasn't moving anymore. Just looming there.

" **dad** ," whispered Sans, pitying and horrified by the abomination he'd become. Then, trying to spark some form of recognition, he said, " **your name is dr. gaster, remember?** "

For a moment, it didn't look like he even heard Sans.

Then the black mass _slammed_ into him, hard and fast. It wrapped around him tight, crushing his constructed body and pouring in. Between his ribs, into his eyes sockets, into his mouth, and everywhere. The pressure and substance was suffocating and choking to him. His Soul fluttered wildly in panic.

" **H** _ **o**_ _M_ E. e _S_ _C_ **Ap** e. **m** _ **uS**_ _T_ G **o** h _oM_ E. _Ho_ _ **m**_ _ **e**_ _!_ "

He couldn't move. He couldn't see. He couldn't hear. He couldn't breathe.

He could just feel something breaking.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And look at that. Long flashback time! With appearances by the famous "Gaster's followers" that can show up at random in the game. And they even get names.
> 
> So I spent a lot of time debating on what would make a good name for the theoretical mother for Sans and Papyrus. Obviously I wanted to keep with the font theme naming scheme, but picking out the perfect one was tricky. I wanted to avoid the ones I'd already seen in stories (which eliminated Lucida, Harlow, and Garamond from "Man Who Speaks In Hands," Hermann from "Ask Frisk and Company," and Arial from some fanfictions I'd casually noticed). Then I had to find some that could work as someone's name and sounded vaguely feminine or gender neutral. I finally narrowed it down to two possibilities that I liked: Corsiva (as in Monotype Corsiva) and Corbel.
> 
> Now, Monotype Corsiva definitely has a nice style to it, designed to look like cursive handwriting and very pretty. There's an elegance to it. The font looks perfect for wedding invitations and such. And Corsiva does sound like it would fit as someone's name.
> 
> But Corbel is a simpler and plain style in comparison. Someone described the font as "designed to give an uncluttered, clean appearance on screen. The letter forms are open with soft, flowing curves. It is legible and clear at small sizes. At larger sizes the detailing and style of the shapes is more apparent." It doesn't have all the extra flourishes and so on due to being a sans-serif typeface. And Comic Sans is another sans-serif typeface. So ultimately I chose to go with Corbel as her name because of that similarity.
> 
> So yeah, I put in a lot of thought into deciding a name that I use only briefly in a flashback…


	6. Falling

_NEE-eu NEE-eu NEE-eu NEE-eu!_

Papyrus flinched at the sudden spike in the alarm's volume and speed, the shrill sound almost painful. But far worse was what the change indicated.

0.498

0.492

0.484

0.470

The numbers on the display were dropping far more quickly. Still too small to matter for most monsters, but deadly to him. The fractional damage to his brother's HP had grown worse than before, falling below the point that Alphys asked to be informed at and accelerating. And Sans' breathing had shifted from merely labored to full-out gasping, as if he was choking or nearly drowning despite the face mask Alphys provided. His fingers dug into the sheets in panic or pain.

"SANS, HOLD ON!" he said, yanking out his cellphone and hitting the speed dial.

0.452

0.438

0.424

0.410

0.396

"DON'T GIVE UP!" he said, the line still ringing. Why wouldn't they pick up? "PLEASE, SANS!"

0.380

0.366

0.350

0.334

 _No, no, no_. It was too low, too fast. Papyrus dropped the cellphone to the floor with a clatter, forgetting about trying to talk to anyone. His sole thought was trying to save his brother before his HP hit zero. He wasn't as skilled as Toriel, but he had some rudimentary healing magic. Enough to patch up a human child he once stuck in a shed after they were hurt when he captured them ( _Why did he vaguely remember doing that to Frisk? He never came close to wearing them out_ ). He pressed his hands on Sans' ribs and poured as much green magic as he could muster.

0.320

0.306

It wasn't working. Papyrus tried, forcing his magic to flow into his brother. But it was like his magic couldn't find anything to heal.

His magic couldn't find Sans' Soul and his body wouldn't accept Papyrus' magic without it.

0.292

0.276

Sans was far beyond his reach.

0.260

0.238

"PLEASE, SANS! DON'T GIVE UP!"

* * *

Frisk wasn't sure how much help they were on repairing the weird part of the Core, but Flowey and Alphys had dove right into the wires, circuitry, and strange mechanisms hidden behind several panels on the wall. His vines were practically buried in there and Alphys kept jamming her tools into the space as quickly as Frisk could hand them over.

And in a surprisingly short time frame, the room _thummed_ with power and at the bottom of the dark pit was a pale blue light that seemed to crackle like lightning. Even better, the fires were gone. Frisk soaked in the sights and sounds, letting them imprint on their mind.

It filled them with determination.

And, their body feeling empowered and practically humming with energy that they still didn't completely understand, Frisk was ready to take on any challenge.

"It works!" Flowey cackled wildly. "Hee hee hee! We actually fixed it! Take _that_ every scientist in the Underground! Who needs an actual college degree?"

"M-maybe don't laugh like a m-mad scientist," suggested Alphys. "B-but yes, it sh-should be like it was that day."

"Only with less overloading and doom. Now we're just waiting on your girlfriend and the machine."

Frisk, starting to gather up the scattered tools, nearly stumbled when their cellphone started ringing unexpectedly. They fumbled at their pockets as they tried to pull it out. It was taking longer than they wanted. And when they finally managed to answer their cellphone, Frisk had to yank it immediately away from their ear.

A shrill, piercing, and intense alarm shrieked through the receiver. And underneath the noise, Frisk could make out Papyrus' voice, indistinct and desperate. The fact that the alarm was louder than Papyrus was worrying.

"Oh no, oh no, oh no," whimpered Alphys, eyes wide and pressing her hands to her mouth at the sounds coming from the phone.

Her reaction was enough for Frisk to know that time was up. There was no chance to devise much of a plan. The Core was like it was the day Gaster vanished. It would have to be enough.

"Alphys? Flowey?" Frisk said, their tone making the pair look at them. "Finish it. Get us both out."

Flowey figured out their intentions a split second before the scientist, trying to grab them with his vines. But Frisk was already moving, jumping over his attempts to stop them. They ran, ignoring the shouts of worried friends. And when they reached the edge, they kept going.

Just like that day so long ago on Mt. Ebbot, Frisk threw themselves down yet another dark hole.

Gravity took hold and pulled them down. Frisk didn't fear whatever awaited them at the bottom. Death or the Void. Either one was fine with them.

They had Determination.

* * *

Sans couldn't breathe, the dark mass smothering and crushing him. It hurt. It hurt so much. His magically-constructed pseudo-body felt like it was cracking under the pressure. His Soul flickered and shivered in fear, pain, and panic. Sans couldn't...

He tried to resist, but... His strength was bleeding away. His hope was fading.

There was nothing left to hold on with. His father was killing him. Gaster, in his madness, would kill him without ever realizing who he was. And Sans couldn't even hear his brother's voice anymore and could barely feel even the faintest connection to his real body. For all intents and purposes, he was alone.

There was no escape. There was no chance.

His grip on his created physical form slipped, the glowing magic shattered under the pressure and leaving his vulnerable Soul exposed. For a second, he felt assaulted by sights and sounds, too much to handle. Then the blackness closed in further on his Soul. Thick, heavy, and suffocating, Gaster was swallowing him whole.

Then a sharp pain stabbed Sans in the Soul. Then another. And another. He felt hundreds of stabbing pains all over. Digging deeper and deeper into his Soul. Cold and sharp. Slicing agony, pure and simple, shook him to his core. He would be screaming if he could.

It _hurt_. It hurt _so_ much. Couldn't think...

What was... stabbing him? So sharp...

The fragments... of Gaster's Soul. He was... stabbing Sans with... his broken Soul. He was trying... to replace Sans' Soul... with his own.

Sans couldn't escape, couldn't fight back, couldn't _beg_.

He was cracking... Breaking apart... _Dying_.

He spent his entire life on the brink of death. Now he was on the brink of shattering completely.

Agony and exhaustion was all he knew.

His Soul flickered like a guttering flame, shaking and crumbling.

* * *

Sans's breathing was slowing, growing weaker. His face had gone slack and his body limp. Everything proved he was fading fast. _This_ was closer to what a monster looked like when they were Falling Down.

0.230

0.214

0.200

"SANS!" Papyrus begged, the skeleton in tears and still desperately trying to pour healing magic into his brother. "PLEASE! DON'T LEAVE ME! JUST HOLD ON, BROTHER! HOLD ON!"

0.178

0.150

"PLEASE... don't go..."

* * *

They might only be eight, but Frisk felt fairly confident that most people didn't spend nearly as much time outside of normal reality as them. There was the strange and frightening place that Flowey created after gaining six human Souls. Then there was the time when Asriel, containing so many Souls and overwhelming power, pulled them somewhere new as Frisk struggled to survive. And when they plunged deeper into the chaotic depths to call back the Lost Souls of their friends. Of course, they also couldn't forget the spaces between. The place where they could Load a Save or even Reset. The place they fell when their Soul succumbed to death.

All those experiences, most of them dark and terrifying, taught Frisk that normal rules don't apply outside reality. The limits were different. And while Determination could reverse death normally, fighting in those desperate locations showed Frisk what else they could use it for. Creating healing items from nothing, fusing their Soul back together, and even keeping alive even as their HP stretched towards zero. Determination wasn't quite the same as magic and certainly not as well understood, but Frisk was growing better at using it in more creative ways.

So when Frisk felt the strange crackle of energy against their skin, felt themselves pulled out of reality into the Void, and felt the oppressive atmosphere pressing down on them, they summoned forth their Soul and wrapped their body in the red glow for protection. The act was instinctive; Frisk didn't even know for certain it would work. They let the warmth flow through them and light up the empty darkness.

No, not empty. Not completely. Frisk saw the glow touch a huge roiling mass. It was like facing the monstrous form of Flowey once again, giant and strange.

There was no evidence to prove it or even suggest it, but they knew. Frisk _knew_ this was Dr. Gaster. And though they saw nothing, they knew that in the center of the swirling, writhing, and churning mass was Sans' missing Soul.

 _No_.

The dark creature was attacking Sans, trying to hurt him.

 _No_.

Frisk's friend was dying.

 _No_.

They wouldn't let it happen. Fury and protective rage fed into their Determination. Violence was a hard habit to break. It was still instinctive.

They gathered up all their Determination, letting it build up in their Soul. And then, with a shout, they let it go.

Explosively.

* * *

"You _idiot_!" Flowey shouted into the abyss.

Of all the faint echoes of emotions to regain, panic, worry, and concern were the ones he didn't really want. And now they were hitting hard. He tried to transform it into anger, but it didn't change the fact he was essentially freaking out over Frisk throwing themselves into the Void.

While Alphys nearly collapsed into a panic attack, Flowey tried to reassure himself that Frisk wasn't dead. They would have Loaded their Save. They would have come back. He repeated that thought to himself firmly. Since they didn't reappear, Frisk didn't die.

Knowing that the human child was still alive and he could yell at them properly for this idiotic stunt later...

It filled him with determination.

The familiar sensation struck him hard. Flowey bit back the kind of language that his parents would have grounded him over, once upon a time. He had control of the timeline again. _He_ had control of the _timeline_.

Did Frisk lose their determination? Or did he regain control because Frisk was outside of time and space? Flowey hoped it was merely proof they'd reached the Void. He hoped they were all right.

Caring without a Soul was difficult, even with the imprint all of those Souls left behind, but he could do it again a little. He cared about Chara, Mom, and Dad again. And he certainly didn't want control of the timeline. Not again. Not anymore. Too much temptation. He would lose himself and lose his fragile ability to almost care for anyone if he tried it again.

"Got your machine!" shouted Undyne, stomping into the room. As she set down the big chunk of sheet-enshrouded metal, she asked, "Where's Frisk?" Then, noticing the state of her girlfriend, she asked, "Alphys? What happened? What's wrong?"

Gulping for air and shaking, Alphys stammered, "F-f-f-frisk. Th-th-they-"

"They're gone," interrupted Flowey. "Now help us hook the machine to the Core. We've got _two_ people to yank out of the Void now."

* * *

The suffocating darkness and cold agony crushing down on his fading Soul seemed overwhelming.

Then bright, intense, and burning red light exploded out, sweeping over everything. It hit the sharp splinters in his Soul, making them burn white-hot in his Soul before they were torn out by the force.

It was overwhelming and terrifying. The bright and burning light, almost roaring with speed and force. He couldn't quite comprehend it, the power driving back the dark creature. Like a force of nature. And he was at the center.

The powerful red force should have incinerated his fragile Soul. He would have a better chance of withstanding a tsunami or the full might of an erupting volcano. He could feel the terrifying heat on all sides as the red light swept through. He could feel the heat and power, but it didn't touch him. It only burned and drove back Gaster.

Then the force eased and the blinding light dimmed to a soft red glow.

No pressure on his Soul. Nothing stabbing into him. Sans should have felt better. It should have helped.

But... it wasn't enough. He was already too far, like sledding down a steep hill and picking up too much momentum to stop. He was sliding down and he kept going.

He was just so _tired_. He had no energy left. Barely any magic. His Soul was filled with deep gouges and dim. Too dim. Too weak.

Sans wasn't even upset or feeling anything anymore. He just accepted it.

It wasn't that bad really.

Dying was like falling asleep, right?

He had plenty of practice sleeping.

* * *

0.090

0.085

0.080

0.075

The fall had slowed. Slowed, but not stopped. There was so little life left in him. Sans barely breathed.

0.070

0.065

0.060

Papyrus shook as he choked back sobs, his bones rattling and tears flowing unhindered. His voice cracked too much to continue begging.

0.055

0.050

0.045

He kept up his useless attempt to force healing magic to work, his hands trembling. He knew that in a matter of moments, Papyrus would be left with only dust to hold.

0.040

0.035

There was no time to try anything else. There was nothing else he could do for Sans.

* * *

As soon as Frisk reigned in their temper again, they pulled back their power until their Determination was a faint glow. It was just enough to keep the dark blob away, though Frisk wasn't certain how far they'd driven him. Perhaps the direct attack wasn't the wisest move, but they weren't sure they regretted it yet either. At least they didn't put any real harmful intent behind the assault. They just wanted to drive the amorphous creature off, not kill him.

They held onto their morals enough not to fall back on murder, even in their anger. Not this time. Being good was a choice that wasn't always easy or natural to them, but they were still trying.

As they blinked away the aftereffects of their explosive light, Frisk saw another weak light. Using their own Soul to tow their body through the empty void, they floated closer.

They knew what a monster's Soul looked like, white and upside-down compared to Frisk's. This one broke their heart to see. It was small and fragile, shaking and trembling. It reminded Frisk of a baby bird they found years ago after it was attacked by a cat, fluttering weakly in pain. The bird died before they could help. They wouldn't let that happen to Sans.

Frisk reached out and gently cupped his Soul in their hands, pulling him close. The bright glow of a healthy monster had dimmed until Frisk could barely make out over the light of their Determination. And the normally smooth surface of a Soul was littered with deep marks that they felt under their fingertips, deep gouges that could easily crack.

 _Were cracking_. They could feel them forming and see the light flickering out.

"I'm sorry," Frisk whispered, their eyes burning with unshed tears and their voice trying to lock up. "I'm sorry, Sans."

He wasn't going to survive until Alphys and Flowey pulled them out. Even if Frisk stopped Gaster, he was still dying. There were only two options for them. Frisk could watch it happen. Or they could take a risk.

All they had was Determination. And while Frisk knew that monster bodies couldn't handle more than the tiniest amounts without melting, they also knew that Determination could keep a Soul alive. It could pull even a monster's Soul back from the brink of death, just like it did with the Amalgamates. Most of the time, the risk of melting apart because of how little physical matter monster bodies possessed meant injecting Determination was a dangerous and cruel option.

But Sans' body wasn't here. Only his dying Soul.

* * *

Fading.

Slipping away.

Small hands touching his Soul. Gentle. Protective.

Tired.

So tired.

Slipping down, down, _down_.

...

Then energy _burned_ through him in a wave, blinding and intense. It ripped him violently back to awareness. Then the red light and energy pulled away after a second.

If Sans had a body, he would be gasping for breath and shaking. His Soul shivered against the small hands. He couldn't handle or process the sudden jolt of strength before it vanished...

Just as he started fading again, it repeated. The bright wave of energy flooded him again, burning and overwhelming. His Soul felt like it was on the brink of exploding. Everything about it made him feel... _something_.

Fight back. Survive. Resist. Keep going. Don't give up. Resist death. Keep moving forward.

The thoughts seemed to pulse through his Soul with the burning energy. There was too much. He couldn't contain this much of that strange energy. His Soul wasn't meant for this.

Then it was yanked out back, leaving him feeling weak again. But Sans felt a little more aware than before. The red light was still around him, terrifying and powerful. What was occasionally flooding his Soul was a tiny drop compared to the ocean he sensed.

He finally recognized the red light.

Determination.

* * *

Frisk concentrated. Only the smallest amount. They couldn't risk more. But it was like trying to hold back a flash flood while letting out a trickle. Frisk had so much Determination that it was hard only using a little. They had to focus.

They worked off instinct and impulse rather than any solid knowledge. They let their Determination flow from their Soul to their hands. Then Frisk let it slip into the fragile monster Soul briefly before pulling it back, watching the dim white glow brighten slightly. When Sans' Soul started lagging again, they repeated it.

This wasn't the same as what happened to Frisk when they died or nearly died. They didn't let the Determination stay in Sans' Soul. It was more like letting him hold a hot mug of coffee, using the heat and smell to wake him up, rather than pouring a gallon of coffee into him along with a dozen energy drinks and a handful of caffeine pills at the same time. But this wasn't _his_ Determination and they were already risking a lot experimenting like this, hoping that it wouldn't cause more harm than good.

But he would certainly die if Frisk didn't try something. So they tried their half-formed plan with as much caution as possible.

Determination. The will to resist death. The power to fight fate. That was exactly what Sans needed in that moment.

Frisk let their Determination brush against his Soul again, trying to coax him back. While still dim and faint, they felt the Soul stirring in their loose hold. It felt like he was improving. Encouraged, Frisk sent another flicker of Determination into his Soul and pulled it back.

"Come on, Sans," Frisk said quietly.

Again, a tendril of Determination sank into the Soul for a brief moment before Frisk removed it. This time, the glow settled into a more stable state than the dim and guttering flame it previously resembled. Weak, but no longer fading away.

* * *

Papyrus saw the display hit 0.020 and stop. It completely stopped falling. He scarcely breathed, watching the number with rekindling hope.

It held.

Sans' HP held at 0.020, steady and unwavering.

The HP was still terrifyingly low. His attempts to heal still didn't work. Sans' breathing was still barely there.

But the downward spiral had actually stopped.

His big brother was still alive.

Papyrus took a deep breath to steady himself. Then he spoke, slowly and carefully with as much confidence as he could muster.

"THAT'S IT, SANS. YOU CAN DO IT."

* * *

Another burst of burning red light jolted into his Soul before being pulled away again. In some ways, it was almost more exhausting to experience the moments of energy before having it ripped away once more. But Sans wasn't fading. He was hanging on.

He could actually notice his surroundings again. The small hands cupping his Soul and the terrifying amount of Determination both belonged to Frisk. The kid was in the Void with him. They were there, body and Soul.

Managing to scrape up a small spark of his magic, Sans recreated a fainter and weaker version of his earlier fake body. This left Frisk practically hugging him when the shape reformed. They didn't seem to mind; stiffening briefly in surprise at the change, they were quick to tighten their grip around him.

"Sorry," Frisk mumbled. "Should have done better. Wanted to Save you faster. Didn't Reset though."

" **no, you didn't. you didn't mess with time** ," he said, wrapping his arms around them in return. " **but you _did_ do something. what did you do, kiddo? how are you here?** "

"Jumped."

" **jumped where?** "

"Core," said Frisk quietly.

He almost asked for a better explanation. He was exhausted and his mind was working a lot slower than normal. But Sans knew that Gaster was in this dark void after falling. After falling into the Core. And now Frisk was here as well. It didn't take a genius to work out most of it, though he was still a little fuzzy on a lot of the details.

The kid dove into the Core, hoping there would be a repeat of that accident. He didn't know how they even knew to try it since no one else remembered what happened that day, but Frisk always seemed to know more than they should. But simply jumping into the Core at random shouldn't have worked. The additions that caused the accident in the first place were long since damaged. It was crazy and dangerous.

But they risked it to find him anyway. And somehow, it worked.

Though he definitely didn't envy whoever had to tell Toriel about this.

" **thanks, pal.** " Releasing his grip on the kid, Sans stared at them and asked, " **any idea how to get back?** "

"I _N_ **t** _ **h**_ _E_ _W_ **a** Y! _**d**_ _E_ St **ro** y!"

Frisk shoved him behind them as the dark creature came back into range of the red glow. Whatever they did to drive Gaster off didn't hurt him visibly. It only seemed to anger him.

For a split second, as the child stared down the giant amorphous figure, something shifted. It was subtle. Their posture turned aggressive. Dangerous. Deja vu hit him hard, terrifying and horrible. Not the place or the situation. Just the human. Something about the child in that moment scared him to death. They were poised to attack _covered in dust and with suffocating amounts of LV..._

Then they shifted a little more and he only saw Frisk again. No dust. There never was any on them. No LV. They never gained any. It was just their kid. Their quiet and kind child who refused to fight, no matter what happened.

Sans didn't want to consider what those unnerving impressions and feelings might have been. He suspected and had suspected for a long time, but he didn't want to think about it. He never wanted to think about it. He chose to ignore it for his own peace of mind.

" _H_ _ **U**_ **ma** N?"

Images appeared around the dark mass. Static-filled, fractured, and jittery, the screens seemed to show Frisk. At least based on what Sans was able to make out through the interference. Some were familiar scenes of the kid befriending monsters and facing challenges. Others were strange. Images of violence. Of the child slaughtering everyone. Of the kid fighting him in the final corridor before the king.

"Always watching and listening to everyone, right?" Frisk said, clearly choosing to ignore what were memories from other timelines. "That's what they told me." They shifted their posture a little. "Don't worry. I've only got eyes for you, Handsome."

Somehow a swirling and writhing figure managed to look confused while Sans nearly burst out laughing despite the situation and his exhaustion. If there was one thing that he could depend on, it was Frisk's ability to flirt regardless of who or what they were facing in that moment. It was a nice piece of normality and consistency in the face of so much uncertainty. It was all right. This was still their human.

Glancing back at him, Frisk said, "I'll be all right. Go home."

" **great. how?** "

Moving towards Gaster while their immediate surroundings grew even brighter red, Frisk said, "Your body. Find it. Can you feel it?"

They were right. Faint, weak, stretched impossibly thin, but Sans still felt his Soul's connection to his body. And with no one actively threatening him now that Frisk held Gaster's attention, Sans could actually focus on it. He felt...

He felt something familiar and reassuring.

Not quite a sound, not quite a touch, but a presence. Something that made his exhausted Soul brighten a little.

Papyrus.

Wherever his body was... Papyrus was there too. And nothing felt more like home to him than his brother.

He let his pseudo-body dissolve away again, too exhausted to maintain it any longer. Sans vaguely noticed that the bright red light of Determination seemed farther away, like Frisk was moving their confrontation with Gaster away from him. Probably on purpose too. He didn't get the chance to tell them who the dark creature was though. He should probably be more worried about that, but his thoughts were growing sluggish again. That temporary boost the kid gave him seemed to be wearing off. He needed to leave while he still had a little strength.

He focused on the connection to his body. He focused even more on his brother, on how much he wanted to get back to Papyrus. Sans almost felt a soft pulling sensation on his Soul, different than the one that yanked him into the Void in the first place. In fact, his dark and empty surroundings were beginning to feel less real.

He had a momentary impression of a gray door for some reason. Then he was tumbling.


	7. Recalling

Frisk let their Determination burn brightly around them, pushing back the empty darkness of the Void and giving their battlefield a red tint. Their Soul hovered in front of the child. Like so many encounters in the Underground, Frisk was ready to fight for their life again. It was better to have the black figure attacking them while Sans' Soul returned to his body than it was to let Gaster turn his attention back towards his son.

They performed a quick Check, trying to see exactly what type of opponent they were facing.

 ***** **Dr. W. D. Gaster**

*** AT: 66666**

*** DF: 66666**

*** He's lost his mind, memories, and identity to the Void, but gained power.**

It did make them miss having Chara whispering at the back of their mind. They were used to having their presence during these types of situations, identifying and reciting information to Frisk in the Underground.

Regardless, Frisk could see that Gaster was very strong. And he was very lost. The fact he attacked his son already suggested he didn't recognize Sans. It made him dangerous. It made him a challenge.

But Frisk wouldn't hurt him. No matter how their heart raced and their body nearly vibrated with excited energy at the idea of it, Frisk couldn't do that. They wouldn't kill the father of their friends.

" **E** _ **S**_ _c_ _aP_ E. _mU_ **St** es **C** **a** _ **pe**_. _IN_ _ **t**_ **H** E **w** **a** Y. D _E_ _ **s**_ _ **tR**_ _o_ Y. **d** _ **E**_ _st_ R **O** **y** H _U_ _ **ma**_ **N**."

The voice made Frisk grit their teeth. But they couldn't let it distract them because dark bones formed around the child and forced them to start dodging.

They twisted and spun around the projectiles. Even if they never faced this particular opponent before, Frisk had fought more battles than they could count. They would adapt.

A pale, distorted face and damaged hands materialized in the swirling black mass. That didn't make him any more friendly-looking. It somehow made him more unnerving. Or maybe more pitiful.

" **i** N _T_ _h_ e **w** _ **A**_ _Y_. H **a** _ **V**_ _E_ **t** O **G** _ **e**_ _T_ O **u** **t**. M _A_ _ **k**_ _e_ _iT_ **s** **t** O _P_."

More bones composed of darkness appeared around the red-tinted battlefield. Frisk braced themselves for the next assault. They could do this. They handled Undyne and her onslaught of spears after all. He couldn't more brutal than her at throwing projectiles.

The thought of the fish monster summoned up dozens of glowing screens around Frisk. Scenes of fighting her, cooking with her, and hanging out with her on the Surface all appeared like recordings.

And as Frisk stared at the images briefly, the bones flew towards them. But as soon as they started dodging, the child realized both the speed and accuracy had diminished. And when they glanced towards Gaster, Frisk realized why.

* * *

His first sensation outside the void was a heaviness, his Soul weighed down by his real body again as it tumbled into place. Maybe it was because of the time outside his physical form or from his complete weariness, but Sans felt too heavy.

And weak. Anything even resembling strength had abandoned him. Even _breathing_ took too much energy. He'd never imagined being so tired that he couldn't even manage breathing. But air pressed against his mouth, making him inhale without any effort on his part. He needed that help.

Then magic coiled around his Soul gently, healing the painful cracks and gashes. It poured into him and urged Sans' HP to slowly climb from the impossibly low fractional amount towards a full point. The familiar feeling soothed and relaxed Sans, giving him back a little strength. He knew this magic almost as well as he knew his own. Sans would recognize his brother's magic anywhere. The familiarity and knowledge of Papyrus' proximity left him feeling safe.

He didn't really notice the loud and shrill alarms until they eased into a soft, slow, and steady beeping. He began to register other sensations, like a blanket tucked carefully around him and gloved hands pressed against his ribs. As the flow of magic tapered off, the hands moved away from their position. One rubbed the side of his skull in a comforting manner while the other gently squeezed Sans' hand.

While his exhaustion made sleep nearly irresistible and suited to his lazy nature, Sans needed something far more important than more rest. He closed his fingers on the gloved hand and pried his eye sockets open.

For a moment, the world seemed too bright after the darkness of the void, making him blink a few times to clear his vision. Then he saw Papyrus, tears on his face, staring at his clasped hand in surprise. A second later, his gaze moved enough to meet Sans' eye-lights and he stiffened.

" **hey, bro** ," Sans said softly.

The world lurched sharply as Sans was yanked into a sitting position, the face mask he'd only vaguely noticed knocked off by the abrupt movement. Arms wrapped around him and pressed him against Papyrus' body, Sans' head tucked under his jaw. One hand rested against the back of Sans' skull while the other wrapped around until it pinned his arms in place. Somehow his brother managed to hug him both desperately tight and with gentle care as if he was afraid Sans would shatter like glass.

Sans felt his brother shaking as Papyrus held him close. Shaking and trying to muffle quiet sobs. His breathing was jerky and uncontrolled from the sobs. Sans felt a wetness dripping down: tears. His brother was crying over him. The realization made his Soul twist. He never wanted to upset Papyrus. He never wanted to scare his brother this badly.

"You're all right," said Papyrus, his whisper the same volume most people would use in normal conversations. He nuzzled the top of Sans' skull. "You're all right."

" **yeah** ," he assured, shifting slightly in Papyrus' grip. " **it's okay, bro.** **i'm all right.** "

"I WAS SO WORRIED. YOU WERE SO SICK AND SO CLOSE TO... BUT YOU'RE SAFE NOW."

Wrapping his arms around Papyrus and hoping that returning his embrace would help ease his brother's shaking, Sans said, " **that's right. i'm safe. it's okay. you saved me.** "

"REALLY?"

Sans' grin widened slightly as he let himself sink into the hug more. He wasn't lying. The kid might have pulled him back from the brink at the end, but there was only one thing that let him hang on long enough. The same thing that kept him going so many times when giving up seemed easier.

" **of course, you did. i heard your voice, papyrus. that's what i followed** ," he said. " **i was lost and you brought me back.** " He tightened his grip on Papyrus briefly, his solid presence so reassuring at that moment. " **you're so cool, bro**."

The shaking had finally grown still and the sobs seemed to be gone. His breathing evened out a bit. The top of Sans' skull still felt damp from tears, but he didn't mind. His younger brother's grip eased slowly until the hug seemed more relaxed and relieved than desperate and afraid. Both brothers were gradually calming down.

This was real.

They were all right. They were safe. They were together.

It was all right.

"BUT OF COURSE! WHAT ELSE CAN YOU EXPECT FROM THE GREAT PAPYRUS! NYEH HEH HEH!"

He should choose an appropriate pun, one to both annoy his brother and reassure Papyrus that he really was fine. But before Sans could even devise any possibilities, he started remembering the rest of the situation. Just because he escaped alive didn't mean everything was back to normal.

" **frisk** ," he said, pulling back.

"OH, RIGHT! WE SHOULD TELL EVERYONE YOU'RE AWAKE!" said Papyrus. "THEY'LL BE SO HAPPY TO HEAR THE GOOD NEWS! THEY WERE ALL WORRIED ABOUT YOU TOO!"

Before Sans could say a word, Papyrus stood up from his place on the edge of the bed and scrambled for his cellphone on the floor. The floor of Alphys' hidden lab, apparently. Huh. He didn't expect that. While his brother dialed, Sans started prying the sticky pads off his ribs and the sides of his skull. The wires were starting to annoy him.

Maybe the kid was already safe. They had a knack for pulling off impossible stunts. And surely they didn't dive into the Void like that without a plan to escape, right?

"I'm sorry," announced a vaguely robotic female voice through the cellphone speaker. A recording. Not Frisk. "The number you have dialed is currently outside of reality. Please hang up and try again later."

Got to give Alphys credit. She apparently covered all possibilities whenever she invented or upgraded a piece of technology.

"THEY... THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO BE HELPING ALPHYS FIND A SOLUTION... TO HELP YOU."

They weren't back. The kid wasn't safe. Frisk was still trapped. They were still in the Void. They were with Gaster.

Sans' life was no longer at risk. But those he cared about were still in danger. And he wasn't sure if Frisk or Gaster would be the one to survive the encounter.

And even if one survived, they would still be trapped. Gone.

" **they went to core** ," he said, grabbing his jacket. " **they're in trouble**."

Sans shoved himself off the bed while simultaneously reaching for his "shortcuts." But his legs collapsed underneath him while his head spun from the effort, Papyrus' fast reflexes the only reason he didn't crack his skull open on the tile.

" _BROTHER?_ " asked Papyrus, worry and barely-controlled panic returning to his voice. "WHAT'S WRONG? IS IT HAPPENING AGAIN?"

" **no** ," he assured even as he mentally cursed himself for scaring his younger brother like that again. " **i'm fine. i promise. i just... i need to get to the core fast and i can't...** " Sans gritted his teeth in frustration and helplessness. " **i'm too tired to stand and my magic hasn't recovered enough for a 'shortcut'.** "

Shifting his grip on Sans slightly to something more comfortable, Papyrus said, "YOU NEED MORE REST, DON'T YOU? THAT'S ALL RIGHT! I DON'T MIND! I WON'T EVEN CALL YOU LAZY! I JUST WANT YOU FEELING BETTER!"

" **not yet. frisk is in danger. i have to get there and figure something out.** "

He couldn't leave Frisk in that void. It was bad enough he left _his own father_ in that place for so long. It was bad enough he'd failed Gaster so many times over the years. Sans couldn't leave the kid there too.

The universe had a really evil sense of humor. Even without the Resets, history was repeating.

He... He had to figure _something_ out. Ask Alphys for help, maybe. She was good with technology. Papyrus clearly remembered the kid, so that was an improvement over what happened with Gaster. They were trapped, not wiped from reality.

Maybe it would work this time. Maybe he could get them out this time. Maybe...

Maybe...

Maybe he would waste several more years failing to save anyone from that empty void, letting them down, can't fix it, can't get them back, _useless, why_ _ **bother trying-**_

Sans found himself lifted up, yanking him out if spiraling thoughts. Papyrus' face was set in a stubborn and certain expression as he held his brother in his arms before transferring Sans onto his back. Still gripping his jacket with one hand, Sans wrapped his arms around his neck for support.

" **bro?** "

"IF YOU NEED TO GO TO THE CORE AND YOU'RE TOO TIRED TO GET THERE, THEN THE GREAT PAPYRUS WILL TAKE YOU THERE HIMSELF!"

And with that firm declaration, he took off running. The weight of his brother on his back didn't even slow Papyrus down as he raced through the lab and his long stride ate up the distance. They would reach the Core in no time.

* * *

While Frisk dodged the slower and less accurate bone attacks, they watched the screens nearest the amorphous Gaster. Faded and shaking images of Undyne as a child played on the glowing screens. They saw her training against Asgore, the perspective as if someone was watching from across the yard in front of his house in New Home. Gaster seemed distracted by the screens.

" _AlW_ A **ys** Ru **NNi** _nG_ a **r** _ **o**_ _UN_ d," he said, his strange voice quieter. " **l** _oU_ D **a** _ **N**_ _d_ r **amB** _ **U**_ _NC_ ti **ous** _**gI**_ _R_ L."

Tiny slivers of light appeared briefly in the blackness. A few pieces seemed to fuse together. Then they faded back out of sight.

Frisk smiled sadly. He was still dangerous and quite mad, but Gaster now reminded them of the Lost Souls. He needed help. He needed to be reminded of his missing pieces. They didn't know him, but they knew people who once meant something to him.

Since the weird screens seemed to appear whenever they thought about someone specific, Frisk knew what they needed to do. The appropriate Act was obvious. They needed to think about the right people to spark his memories.

"Since you remember Undyne, how much do you remember Asgore?"

Images of Asgore appeared around Frisk. Images of him with his trident, preparing to fight or die against the final human child. Images of him in cheerful shirts in the garden. Everyday moments and important events were equally represented in their memories.

The bones thrown this time were more of a pale gray than the black from before. And they seemed even easier to dodge.

Gaster stared at the distorted images that now surrounded him, _his_ memories. King Asgore at the Core. King Asgore at his castle. Him sparring with a young Undyne, for once not wearing his royal cape. Him having tea with someone, the table covered in reports. While the screens orbited him, more of the splinters within him glowed and fused together.

" **Y** _Our_ M **A** _je_ _ **ST**_ _y_?" he murmured. Then, a little louder, he said, " **pl** _ **E**_ _ASe_ , m _ **aK**_ _E_ **it** st _OP_. N _o_ M **O** _ **R**_ _e_. n **o** m _oR_ _ **E**_!"

Several familiar shapes materialized, pale and large. Memories of painful deaths from another timeline struck hard, causing Frisk to dodge before they actually consciously identified the objects. They moved just barely in time, the sounds and intense energy erupting. Unforgettable and deadly.

They kept moving desperately until the Gaster Blasters stopped firing.

"What... what about Toriel? Did you know her before she went to the Ruins?" Frisk asked.

Frisk summoned up memories of her baking, teaching, reading, and hugging. Every memory appeared before them on the various screens. Gaster stared with his pale, cracked face at the images. A few screens materialized near him, but the images were more distant for the most part. He didn't know her as well as he did the king.

But they were clearer than the ones that formed near the beginning. And the smaller glowing pieces in the blackness were larger and fewer than before. And the giant black mass was condensing into something smaller.

They were reaching him. They were making progress.

* * *

He might have dozed off briefly during the race towards the Core. Or passed out. It was hard to tell with how worn out and drained he felt over all. But the hum of machinery and crackle of energy woke him back up. Or rather scared him awake. Sans hadn't spent much time there since the accident, but he _knew_ these weren't the normal sounds of operation. They were stirring up memories of the day Gaster fell. The Core was operating the same way it did that day, altered for a specific experimental purpose.

How? How was it possible?

Sans kept trying to examine everything from his perch on his brother's back as they passed. Then they entered the central chamber. At that point, Sans stiffened as he saw what awaited.

The machine that spent so much time in the lab under their house was now on full display, wires and cables snaking out of it and into the pried open panels of the Core. Undyne was dragging large cables around at her girlfriend's instructions. But what really captured his attention and sent an icy chill into Sans' Soul was the plant manipulating the electronics with his vines.

He didn't have proper memories of other timelines, but vague dreams, impressions, and deja vu told him to beware the flower for years before the kid's arrival. He knew the talking flower was dangerous even when he didn't know why. And right before the Barrier fell, all those suspicions were confirmed. Flowey could have killed someone that day.

Maybe he had in one timeline. There was no way to know.

And now he was back. Flowey was back and too close. Sans reached for his magic, his instincts telling him to get rid of the threat _fast_. But the attempt left him gasping and his head spinning, his body and Soul still not fully recovered from the ordeal. Magic was still out of reach.

"FLOWEY? YOU'RE BACK!" said Papyrus, sounding a lot more pleased than his brother about it.

"Papy- _Sans_!" Undyne shouted, catching sight of the smaller skeleton. "You're all right."

Dropping her tools with a small squeak, Alphys said, "S-sans? You're awake. And alive. That's g-great."

"Should have known the idiot's stupid stunt would work," snapped Flowey. He didn't even pause his work or spare Sans more than a brief glance. "Welcome back. Now your brother won't be miserable. Yay for that. Now _help me_."

Still struggling with every instinct screaming about how much danger they were all in, Sans glared at the Soulless plant and growled, " **and what is** _ **he**_ **doing here?** "

"Well, I _was_ trying to help drag your Soul back from wherever Gaster yanked it. But now we need to finish hooking this machine to the Core because Frisk decided to copy your old man and took a dive over the edge. So if you're not dead, then you can help us get them out. "

That raised so many more questions, especially about how the flower knew all of this when no one else did. But Sans shoved those issues aside. And he ignored his suspicions and distrust for the moment. Flowey was right; they needed to get Frisk out of that dark void.

It was too late for Gaster. There didn't seem to be much left of him. But it wasn't too late for the kid. They could still be saved.

And with the power of the Core, which was clearly reconfigured again with the ability to affect space and time, it might be possible. It might work.

" **let me down** ," he said, making his brother stiffen. " **if we want this to work, i have to see what it looks like so far**."

Papyrus carefully set him back on the floor. While Sans wobbled briefly, his legs supported his weight this time. He kept a hand near his brother just in case he was forced to catch his balance abruptly.

" **right** ," he said. Vaguely noticing that he'd apparently left his shirt back in the lab, Sans pulled on his jacket over his bare ribs. " **let's get the kid back.** "

Papyrus must have a million questions about what was going on. Sans couldn't imagine how confused he was. But he didn't ask. He recognized the urgency of the situation and just helped Sans over to the machine.

* * *

"You worked with Dr. Alphys. Do you remember her?" asked Frisk, dodging bones that were now white.

Memories of meeting her in the lab for the first time, of going on a fake date with her before she gained the confidence to confess to Undyne, and of numerous movie nights on the Surface with her all shown on the floating screens around the child. They glowed brightly around the Determination-lit battlefield.

Images of a younger and less guilt-stricken Alphys appeared near the shrinking Gaster. Almost all of them seemed to be in lab settings and they were growing less static-filled. He stared at the screens, his cracked face twisting into something more thoughtful. As if he actually recognized what he saw.

"S _he..._ s **h** e w _as_ s _i_ _ **c**_ **k**. _S_ _ **h**_ **e** **w** a _sn't_ t _h_ _ **e**_ **r** e," he murmured distantly. " _ **S**_ _he_ d _id_ n **'t** **f** _al_ l."

Frisk smiled. Full sentences rather than insane pleas and cries. His voice was settling into something less grating and something more natural. And there were only half a dozen glowing bits left in the shrinking black figure, the pieces large enough for Frisk to realize they were parts of his Soul. They were almost there. Frisk knew he only needed a small push.

"You knew all of them a little bit. Before this place. Do you remember _him_?"

More screens materialized around the child, showing a cheerful and enthusiastic skeleton. He was showing off puzzles. He was cooking spaghetti. He was showing them around his home in Snowdin. He was driving a car on the Surface. He was happy and bright as the sun he was watching rise into the sky. Frisk surrounded themselves with memories of Papyrus.

Shrinking and compacting into a more humanoid size and shape, he said quietly, "Th _at's..._ _H_ e's g _ro_ w _n_ so _mu_ ch. _Pap_ yr _us..._ "

He didn't attack at all this time. He just stared at the screens appearing around him, showing a tiny skeleton in an orange-and-red striped sweater. Frisk thought little Papyrus was adorable; they needed to find photos of him as a child.

Gaster appeared more like his children now. His cracked face looked more like a skull than a broken mask; longer like Papyrus, but smoother and rounder features like Sans'. And while his body remained impossibly black, the way it moved seemed more like he was wrapped in cloth. Like a robe or a long lab coat. And solid rather than a strange half-liquid state. He appeared to be just a little shorter than Papyrus, but still tall. And they saw his Soul shining briefly; covered in black cracks like spider webs, but whole and intact.

Then Frisk saw him stiffen. They looked at the screen that had captured his attention. It showed Papyrus as an infant, tiny and cheerful. And, holding him with a grin and looking at the baby in adoration, was another child skeleton. Dressed in a thick blue-and-green sweater, he couldn't be much older than six years old based on his size.

Seeing Sans at a point in time where he was bigger than Papyrus was just shocking.

" _Sans... It was... It was Sans. He was... I pulled him here_ ," said Gaster slowly, dawning horror creeping into his voice. " _I... I hurt him. I almost killed Sans. I tried to kill my son._ "

He seemed to collapse in on himself, his legs folding under him while his arms wrapped around his body. Sobs shook him while tears reflected the bright red light of Determination. His guilt, horror, and self-loathing practically rolled off him in waves. The sight was painful to watch. Frisk didn't pull him back together just to have him emotionally shatter apart like that.

" _How could I... How could I do that?_ " he said between desperate sobs. " _My children... Not my children... I hurt him... I hurt..._ " Gaster curled up further. " _I deserve this place. I deserve all of it._ "

Using their Soul to tow themselves, Frisk drew themselves closer to the guilt-stricken monster. They gently placed a hand on his shoulder. He was shaking violently from his sobs.

"No, you don't," Frisk said gently.

" _I tried to kill my son._ "

"But you didn't. He's safe."

He managed to raise his head slightly, staring at them with dull eye-lights. It broke Frisk's heart. They'd seen that look occasionally on Sans, especially during darker timelines.

" _What are you... You made it quiet_." He glanced at their red Soul and the red light around the pair. " _Determination. You're blocking out the Void. You're letting me think again. You stopped me_." He took a shuddering breath. " _Please make it stop. Make it finally end. Please kill me. Let me die, Human._ "

* * *

As much as Sans distrusted Flowey, he had to admit that he actually knew what he was doing. Between him, the Soulless flower, and Alphys, they were closer to success than he'd been in years of work.

They were actually going to breach the fabric of space and time, reach outside of reality, and create a stable portal to somewhere beyond normal time, space, and reality.

Hopefully.

" **if it's going to work at all, this should do it** ," said Sans, putting the final touches on the rewiring.

"Undyne, hit the s-switch next to you," Alphys ordered.

The machine and mechanisms below the floor of the Core started _thumming_ loudly the instant they activated the new alterations. He could feel some form of magic and energy crackling around them, no longer confined to the lower sections of the Core like before. The room took on a blue tint as a light with no obvious source glowed. Sans started making quick adjustments. He needed to narrow it down and focus the immense amount of power on a single point.

"We need more power from the Core," said Flowey, his vines manipulating the panels.

" **it'll overload the circuits.** "

"But not instantly. We just need it to last long enough to get the idiot out."

"And it w-wont trap us either way," Alphys said. "W-we fixed that. Any b-backlash won't s-send us anywhere."

Ignoring the start of a high-pitched whine and shaking from the machine, Sans nodded and said, " **full power it is then. let's get the kid home**."

* * *

" _I'll lose myself again. I'll never escape. But I don't want to hurt them again. I can't hurt my children. They're everything to me,_ " Gaster begged. " _Please, have Mercy and make it stop. Let me die. I won't suffer anymore and my children will be safe._ "

There it was. Temptation.

It wasn't even like when Flowey taunted Frisk, threatening to kill everyone if they didn't finish him off. Gaster had been broken and alone for so long. He was afraid of going insane again. He wanted to protect his children from himself. He truly considered death a kindness by this point.

No one would blame Frisk. Not even Sans, though he would still be upset. But he saw how far gone Gaster was. They didn't even have to tell Sans that they pulled him back together, memory by memory. They didn't have to tell him that Gaster was still in such emotional pain and guilt that he asked for death. They could let him assume that any trace of his father was already long gone and that his death was self-defense. It would probably be easier for Sans that way.

Was it so wrong to grant his request? How long had Gaster been denied even the relief of death?

And he was powerful. Stronger monsters provide more EXP and LV. Frisk could already imagine the thrilling rush. They could practically feel that power already flowing through their veins. And it wouldn't be an act of cruelty. He was literally asking for the child to kill him. And Frisk wouldn't draw it out or make him suffer. They would try to kill him in one blow. Even with no weapon, they could probably manage it if he lowered his guard enough.

He wanted this.

Frisk shook their head. Even if he made himself vulnerable enough to kill, they refused. They wouldn't take his life. Not even to end his suffering.

But they also wouldn't leave him here alone, trapped in his pain, madness, and guilt once again.

They intended to save him from this fate.

" _I can't... I can't take this anymore. I lost myself so much that I almost killed Sans. I attacked my child_ ," he said, dropping his head again. " _My sons are the world to me and now... No matter what it costs me, they must be safe. Even from me._ "

"They're safe," assured Frisk. "And you won't hurt them."

" _I already did._ "

"Not your fault. You weren't _you._ "

Frisk wrapped their arms around his head, hugging the monster protectively. They let Gaster sob into their sweater while their Determination glowed around them, keeping the oppressive void at bay. He'd been alone for so long. No one deserved this.

" _I can't leave. I've tried. I just wanted to go home_ ," he murmured. " _But I can't. And I can't make this right. What kind of father hurts his own child?_ "

Guilt seemed to be crushing him. Frisk knew the feeling. It could choke and smother you until you're about to give up. They knew what it was like, knowing that you'd hurt the people you love. It took time to learn how to forgive yourself. And it never truly went away completely.

"Fixed your memories. Fixed your Soul. No longer shattered. No longer dangerous," said Frisk slowly. "You're whole. Separate from the darkness."

" _For how long? It won't last._ "

"Have hope, Gaster."

" _I lost hope long ago. I lost the hope of even dying. What can I hope for now? Forgiveness?_ " He produced a sound somewhere between a chuckle and a sob. " _What I nearly did was unforgivable._ "

Frisk struggled to find the words to help him. There had to be something that could pull him out of his regrets and horror with his actions. But before they could find what those words might be, Frisk felt something crackling against their skin. It reminded them of the sensation they felt when they jumped into the Core, bringing them to the void in the first place.

They tightened their grip around his head, shielding him as best they could. Frisk had an idea what was about to happen, but they had to be ready. And they wouldn't let go. They wouldn't leave him behind.

* * *

The whines, shrieks, and creaks of struggling and straining metal filled the air. Alarms rang out. The floor shook and vibrated hard enough that everyone was having trouble standing and not just Sans. He could already tell the entire place was about to come apart around them. Everything told him to shut it down. But none of them were ready to give up.

" **adjust it by thirty percent** ," he said.

"Got it," said Flowey.

" **could you hit the button above me, bro. i can't reach.** "

"OF COURSE!"

The noises of the machinery grew louder and more concerning, but it did result in a patch of _something_ appearing in the middle of the room. Sometimes it was pure darkness. Sometimes it was an intense light. Sometimes he caught sight of a gray door. It kept shifting, but all the energy running through the cobbled together systems was clearly having an effect.

"It's w-working," stammered Alphys.

"Great," Undyne shouted. "Now how do we get the little punk out?"

Sans couldn't even start to devise an answer to that. It was taking all his concentration to stay on top of the adjustments. If he paused for long, he knew the entire thing would destabilize and collapse. He couldn't let that happen.

" **just a little more** ," said Sans, eye sockets locked on the displays. " **a little more**."

The machine that once rested in their basement was now shaking wildly and whining loudly from the strain it was never meant to handle. A slight hint of smoke emerged. He took a shaky step backwards, fear running up his spine. They'd hit the engineering limits and there was only one possible outcome.

"Uh-oh," yelped Flowey, vanishing into his wastebasket.

"Duck!" Alphys shouted.

Sans instinctively reached for his "shortcuts," but his magic barely reacted and the attempt left his head spinning. He stumbled to the ground, one hand going to his skull. And then everything exploded around him.

Light and heat burst out, sweeping by wildly. Sans cringed, expecting pain and death. But it didn't hit. And after a moment of chaos and noise, everything fell silent and still.

As he pried his eye sockets open cautiously, Sans realized that Papyrus' reflexes had saved him again. His younger brother had wrapped himself around Sans and protected him from the blast with his own body. A frantic Check showed that while he lost some HP, it wasn't enough to be dangerous for Papyrus. A little further away, Sans saw Undyne similarly shielding Alphys from harm while Flowey's container rolled across the floor with the twisted metal fragments from the machine. Sans off-handedly noticed a few golden petals poking out a little, so the weed wasn't dead either. The explosion hadn't killed anyone.

It just destroyed their one hope of ever seeing Frisk again.

His Soul clenched tightly at the thought, at how he'd failed yet again. But before he could actually think about what that meant and his emotions could spiral downwards, Papyrus pulled him back to his feet and Sans caught sight of something that made him freeze.

Right in the middle of the room, surrounded by shrapnel, were two figures who weren't there a moment ago.

Frisk crouched on the floor, their face scratched and their sweater torn by flying metal fragments. But even if their eyes were clenched shut, they didn't seem concerned about the thin trickle of blood down their cheek. There was a small smile on their face and they seemed completely focused on keeping their body wrapped around the other person despite the size difference, cradling his head close.

He was on his hands and knees with his head bowed, his face hidden by Frisk. His once-white lab coat was stained the same impossible black as the void. But he was solid, not an amorphous liquid. And he wasn't in the void.

He wasn't in the void anymore.

He was real. He existed.

Sans grabbed onto his brother for support as his legs tried to collapse under him again. Please don't be a dream. He begged with all his Soul for this to actually be happening. He wanted this for too long. He couldn't trust his senses in that moment. He couldn't have his meager hopes raised and then shattered so cruelly.

"Everything's all right," murmured Frisk gently, making them the center of attention. While their friends smiled in various states of relief that they were back, Frisk patted Gaster's head comfortingly. "You didn't mean it. He'll forgive you."

" _How?_ " he asked, his voice normal again even while muffled by Frisk's sweater. The unnatural and freaky version of his voice was gone. " _How could anyone forgive me?_ "

This was him. This was real. He was back. Physically and mentally, he was back.

Sans didn't think. He just took a few steps forward on shaking legs. And when he drew close, he placed a hand on Gaster's shoulder.

" **you could try an apology and see what happens. i might surprise you.** "

Gaster's head snapped up, eye sockets wide in shock before he flinched and covered them. After so long in darkness, even the light in the Core must be blinding. His next attempt was slower and more cautious, his hands gradually lowering until he was staring at his surroundings in awe.

" _Is this... real?_ " he whispered. " _I'm... This isn't..._ "

"You're in the Core," Flowey interrupted, poking out of his container and glaring. "You know, the place you were before you messed up and fell out of reality? Yeah, we managed to drag you back with the idiot who decided to just _jump in_! Don't you dare think I'll ignore that, Frisk! You ever do that again and I'll shoot bullets at you until you develop a survival instinct!"

Frisk shook their head ruefully at the Soulless creature, but certainly didn't seem concerned by the threat. But neither of them held Sans' attention at that moment. He was watching Gaster's stunned expression as he looked at the floor, his hands, and the other monsters as if he couldn't believe what he saw. And he kept look towards Sans and Papyrus, his face somewhere between hopefully and scared.

" _I'm really here? I... exist?_ "

" **yeah** ," Sans managed to whisper. " **you're here**."

Gaster stared at him silently for a moment. Then a gloved hand reached down to the older monster.

"ARE YOU HURT? DO YOU NEED HELP UP?" asked Papyrus, smiling at him.

The cracked face shifted until it looked like he was on the verge of tears at the gesture. But he slowly reached out his long-ago-damaged hand and took Papyrus'. While watching his brother interact with Gaster without a hint of recognition on his face made Sans a little sad, he couldn't look away as the older monster was pulled shakily to his feet.

"So... you're Dr. Gaster?" Undyne said, studying him up and down.

"... _Yes, I am_ ," he said hesitantly, still watching Sans and Papyrus.

Pressing her hands to her mouth, Alphys squealed, "Oh m-my. It w-worked? R-really?"

"Yep, family reunion time," said Flowey dryly. "I don't have the Soul to deal with overly emotional displays, so let me know when you're done. I don't want to hang out here all day."

The flower ducked back down in his container while Frisk picked the wastebasket up. Sans shoved down the impulse to attack the weed. He really didn't appreciate Flowey putting him on the spot like that. Now they had to address the entire "parent wiped from existence and memory" thing. He didn't even know where to begin. Sans was barely wrapping his mind around the fact that Gaster was back. It was too much to handle immediately after nearly dying. Thinking about it was beyond exhausting.

"WHAT DID FLOWEY MEAN?" Papyrus asked, glancing at his brother for answers.

Desperately wishing he could just go to sleep and deal with everything after some rest, Sans said, " **it's complicated, bro**."

"Really c-complicated," confirmed Alphys.

" **but it's pretty a-** _ **parent**_ **you need to know what you've forgotten** ," he continued, falling back on the comforting familiarity of jokes. " **you might think this is the first time meeting gaster, but nothing could be** _ **father**_ **from the truth**."

"ARE THOSE... PUNS?" asked Papyrus, brow furrowed as he fought between frustration and confusion.

" _He always enjoyed those_ ," Gaster said quietly. " _And you would always get annoyed by your brother's puns. Even when you smiled at them_."

Sans saw the moment his younger brother made the connection. His eyes widened and his jaw dropped in astonishment.

Gaster's head also dropped, the older monster trying to avoid everyone's gazes. Sans knew Gaster well enough and was good enough at reading body language to recognize the amount of guilt weighing him down. Now that the shock of existing was beginning to pass, Gaster couldn't seem to look at his children anymore.

He didn't see the smile that Papyrus gave him.

" _I know you can't remember me_ ," he said, staring at the floor. " _That's not your fault, Papyrus. I'm probably not what you wanted or deserve_."

Anything else that he might want to say was tossed out the moment Papyrus yanked Gaster into one of his bone-crushing hugs. The older monster stiffened in surprise. But after a moment, Gaster cautiously returned the embrace.

"YOU'RE OUR DAD! WHAT COULD BE BETTER THAN OUR FAMILY GETTING BIGGER? WE CAN ALWAYS USE MORE COOL SKELETONS TO MAKE IT EVEN BETTER. AND IF I CAN'T REMEMBER YOU FOR SOME REASON, FOR WHICH I'M VERY SORRY, THEN WE CAN MAKE _NEW_ MEMORIES."

No matter what happened or what surprised were thrown his way, it was nice to know that Papyrus would always be Papyrus. And he knew how to focus on the most important elements.

Sans gave them a tired smile. His brother was so great. He'd help Gaster a lot just by being himself. The world needed the bright embodiment of sunshine that was Papyrus.

As he reluctantly broke off the embrace, Gaster looked a little happier than a moment before. He stared at his younger son, reaching out a hand to cup Papyrus' face.

" _You've grown so tall. I've missed out on so much_."

His expression seemed a little wistful, but Gaster had a smile. A _real_ smile. Sans considered himself an expert on telling the difference. But then he stepped back and turned towards his other child, the guilt settling back on his shoulders.

" _Sans... I'm so sorry. For everything. I know you'll never forgive me, but-_ "

" **i forgave you already** ," interrupted Sans. Trying to make a joke out of it, he shrugged and said, " **holding a grudge takes too much work**." He closed his eye sockets tiredly. " **nothing that happened was your fault anyway. you didn't mean to disappear and what happened later... you weren't in your right mind. look, after trying to fix things for years, we've got our father back. can't we just be happy about that?** "

Sans opened his eye sockets again just in time to see Gaster fall to his knees in front of him and wrap the smaller skeleton in a tight hug, whispered, " _Yes. I'm happy. Far happier than you can possibly imagine._ "

The hug, even after all this time, was familiar. It was just like he remembered. Strong, sturdy, and solid. And more importantly, it was real. His dad was hugging him and even if a Reset could destroy it, this was real. It mattered. Sans let himself sink into the embrace a little more, his tired body relaxing.

In fact, he probably relaxed too much. Sans felt himself starting to drift off. But it wasn't that concerning. Between Gaster and Papyrus, his family would keep an eye on him and get him home safe.

His family. He had part of his family back. It was all right.

* * *

As soon as the family reunion seemed to be going pretty smoothly (especially once the hugs started), Frisk carried Flowey's container out of the room. Alphys and Undyne were distracted by what was happening, watching it like a dramatic episode of their favorite anime. The child knew they had a few minutes before their friends noticed their absence.

"I know what you're going to ask me," Flowey said, poking his head back out of the wastebasket. "Do you really think I've changed my mind?"

Frisk shrugged and said, "Maybe. You didn't have to help Sans. Or me."

"I was bored and it seemed interesting. That doesn't change the fact I'm a Soulless husk with a history of murder. There's no reason for me to leave."

"You worried about me."

"Did not," he snapped. "Without a Soul, you can't have emotions. Remember?"

" _Flowey_ ," said Frisk, raising an eyebrow.

Growling grumpily, he muttered, "Fine. I feel _something_. But it isn't quite right."

"You care."

"Yes. No. Kind of." His petals started to droop around his face a little. "I don't know. It's complicated. I... I prefer some people over others. I want them to remain happy and safe. And I... don't like it when bad things similar to what happened to me... happens again to other people. But it isn't the same." Flowey dropped his head, his face nearly hidden from view. "I can't love them. I can't love my parents the way I used to. Why would I want to go back with you and see them? There's no point. It would only hurt them."

"If you can't love them the way you used to, love them the way you can now," said Frisk. "If you can't be Asriel, be Flowey. But you don't deserve to be alone forever." They smiled encouragingly at Flowey. "Even the worst person can change. You just need to try. And you have been trying. Besides, you should get to see the Surface. _Really_ see it."

Quietly and hesitantly, he said, "No one would want me there."

"I would. And Papyrus would. Alphys might a little. She seemed impressed by how smart you are. Please?"

His petals pulled back enough to expose his face again. Frisk couldn't read his expression. He just stared dully.

"You idiot... Don't you have anything better to do? You can't Save me."

"I can't Save _Asriel_. But maybe I can Save Flowey. At least a little bit. You don't have to be alone. I want you to be happy as you can be."

Flowey chuckled quietly, shaking his head. A small smile formed on the plant's face.

"You never give up, do you? _Fine_. Drag me back home then. Just don't tell anyone about who I used to be." Glancing down at the wastebasket he currently occupied, he added, "And you better get me a nice flowerpot. A decent-sized one with room for my roots."

Grinning brightly and hugging the container close, Frisk nodded. They couldn't believe he agreed. But he was family. Even if he didn't want anyone to realize he was once Asriel, he was Toriel and Asgore's son. And that made him like their sibling. Frisk's family might consist of a crazy mixture of monsters, most of which tried to kill the child at least once, but they loved it. And they would never give up on their family. There was plenty of room for a Soulless flower to join in.

Setting him down, Frisk said, "Give me a minute to call someone. Then we can finish negotiating terms."

Frisk pulled out their cellphone and hit the first number on their speed dial. And unlike in the Underground during their journey, someone answered.

"Hello, my child," Toriel's breathless voice greeted through the speaker. "I just located the books Dr. Alphys requested and will be returning shortly."

"It's okay, Mom. Sans is better. We fixed everything," said Frisk quickly.

"Oh, thank goodness," she said, breathing a sigh of relief. "I cannot begin to tell you how good it is to hear that Sans has recovered. I was very worried about him. I will return shortly. Thank you for calling me, my child."

"When you get back, we'll tell you everything that's happened. There's a lot to talk about."

"I will see you soon. Be good, my child."

Frisk hung up, smiling to themselves. There was a lot to tell Toriel when she made it back. Like Gaster showing up and Flowey coming home with them. But it was all good news. Everything had turned out all right, without the need to Reset or try again. Everyone was alive and safe.

They had no regrets about how things turned out.

* * *

" **so, i still can't believe you flirted with my dad. i mean, you flirted with your mom and everything, but...** "

"Please, stop."

" **of course, you also dated my brother. so i guess you're going through my entire family.** "

"Sans, why are you doing this? _Why_? What did I do to deserve this?"

" **stop trying to burrow into the couch and listen. i'm starting to feel left out, buddy. should i be jealous? i took you out to eat a couple times, but they weren't really dates and you never flirted with me**."

"Is this revenge? I'm sorry I told Papyrus about your hidden ketchup supply. It was an accident."

" **though i suppose if you and dad start dating, it would be interesting to watch. think things will work out?** "

"I'm going upstairs."

" **would that mean someday you'll be a** _ **step**_ **-parent?** "

"I regret so much."

" **wait. come back. i've got more, kiddo**."

"Regrets! So many regrets!"


End file.
